Obsession of Love
by Desenchanter
Summary: A serial killer becomes obsessed with Kikyou yet all the evidence brings the leading detective and her former highschool flame to believe she may be the killer. All the while the real one gets closer to making her his final victim. AU InuxKik/SuixKi
1. Chapter 1

_**Obsession of Love**_

_Summary_: An obsession over Kikyou leads to a series of murders. All the clues end up leading to her being the one behind it all. Inuyasha is the rising star in the police force and the leading detective on the case. He is shocked to find out that his high school sweetheart may actually be the imfamous Archor. Kikyou and him haven't seen one another since high school after a incident that tore them apart. Now Inuyasha dates her sister, Kagome. Kikyou tries to prove her innocence but only diggers herself a deeper hole. Will Inuyasha end up taking her side of throwing her in jail on false evidence? All the while the real killer gets closer and closer to Kikyou... in hopes of her becoming his final victim

* * *

_October 20__th__, Thursday...._

Muffled screams cried out in the dark room as a young girl struggled for her life. With all her energy she tried to break the binding straps that wrapped her feet together and to the metal chair and her hands behind it. She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her dirty cheeks, again she tries to cry out for help but the gag in her mouth enables her to.

Her blood shot eyes snap open as she hears footsteps. It was a gagging sob that escaped the girl as she shook her head back and forth, pleading as much as she could while she watched the figure fade towards her, a shinning knife in its hand.

She chokes for air when it was placed to her thin neck, then she freezes. No amount of pleads would free her now, she knew that but that didn't stop the tears. She didn't want to die yet, she was too young…

"Don't worry," the voice calmly assured as it was taken away from her neck, she couldn't relax at all.

_Else Where on October 20, Thursday..._

"Are you sure about this?" Suikotsu, a man with short black hair and dark auburn eyes, asked. He had been sitting on a red luscious couch in a small apartment for quite a while.

"Yes." Kikyou answered as she leaned on the counter that separated the kitchen area and the living room.

"Hm, it's weird." Suikotsu said as he raised the paper he held, eyeing it up and down.

"I don't care."

"You should. You say—" Suikotsu was cut off by the phone ringing.

"Would you get that?" Kikyou requested as she walked into one of the doors along the far side of the wall.

"Fine," Suikotsu sighed and, with reluctance, got up off the couch to walk over to the counter and pick up the phone. "Hello?... Yeah, hold on." Suikotsu set the phone down, "Kikyou! It's for you!"

"I'll just pick up this phone!" Kikyou shouted back from the room she was in.

"Alright!" Suikotsu then hung up the phone.

"Hello?" Kikyou answered in the dark bed room she was in.

It was a while before the other side of the phone was no longer silent; she almost hung up before she sighed and tried once more.

"Is anyone there?"

"MMMM!! MMM!!!"

"He... Hello?"

"Help! Help me!! _Please_!" A little girl cry out.

"Kaede? Kaede! How many times do I have to tell you not to make prank calls?"

"Please!!" Kaede cried.

"What's going on?"

"Sister!!!" she cried then a loud bone crackling noise echoed through the phone.

"Kaede?!"

"Goodbye." A man whispered before the phone hung up.

"Kaede!!" Kikyou shouted right before she ran out into the living room, "Suikotsu! Something's wrong."

"What?" Suikotsu asked dully while he watched TV.

"Kaede just called and she was crying for my help then there was this cracking sound and a man said goodbye and hung up." Kikyou tried her best not to panic but… failed.

Suikotsu sighed, "it's just another one of her pranks."

"I don't think so…"

"Remember the last time she called?"

"Mm-hm," Kikyou nodded as her eyes wondered around, worriedly, as she paced about.

"What did she say was wrong?"

"She was getting kidnapped...."

"The time before that?"

"Someone was after her...."

"The time before _that_?"

"Someone tried to kill her...."

"She just wants attention. It's common for young children to act this way when their parents are divorced and their older siblings moved out."

"I don't know... Shouldn't I call the police just to make sure?"

"Kaede will call back soon and say sorry for playing the poor prank just like all the other times."

"Hm... OK… but if she doesn't I'm calling the police." Kikyou declared as she sat down next to Suikotsu.

"Fair enough."

_The Morning of Firday 21...._

A yawn penetrated a man's lips as he walked into a small alleyway, he had to brush someo f his rather long jet black hair out of his face before he met up with the scrambling people around him, "what's up?"

"It's a thirteen year old girl." A woman with ebony hair and light brown eyes answered.

"... What happened?" The man's auburn gaze moved around the scene, trying to gather as much details as he could.

"From the looks of it she was tortured then her neck was broken." Kagura, the woman, replied as she knelt down and pulled a white sheet off from over a dead body. Kaede lied under it with her eyes and mouth both opened, blood dried around her mouth, her eyes glazed over from death already.

"Ka-Kaede?" Inuyasha, the man, stuttered.

"Yeah, that's the girl's name. Do you know her?"

"Yeah... she's my girlfriend's kid sister...."

"Really? I'm sorry." Kagura frowned as she stood up, "you know if the chief finds out they'll probably take you off the case."

"Then… let's try to keep him out of it," Inuyasha's eyes met Kagura's, after a moment she shrugged OK, "do we know who did it?"

"If we did then would we be here?"

"Point." Inuyasha murmured while he gaze could not be pried from Kaede. Her face had dirt all over it and dry blood on her forehead. If he didn't know any better he'd guess she was silently screaming but… her once joyful brown eyes were now soulless. Poor kid, how could someone do that to her? _Why_ would someone do that?

"There's... one more thing." Kagura warned.

"What?" Inuyasha asked harshly.

"She has the mark." Kagura whispered as she walked down and again knelt by Kaede's left leg.

"Huh?" Inuyasha walked over to her and did the same.

"See." Kagura put a glove on her left hand and then pulled Kaede's sock down. There on her leg was pentagram with an arrow threw it.

"So... then... it was him again?"

"That or a copycat. The only thing that all the dead girls have in common is this mark on their legs. Well, that and they are always dumped in an alleyway near here."

"Damn. We have to get this guy before he kills someone else."

"Hey, I'm all for that but we have little to no expedience to lead us to anyone."

"Detective!" a man shouted as he ran up to them.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked.

"We found something." the man said and handed them a plastic bag.

"What is it?" Inuyasha repeated as he took the bag from the man.

"Lipstick."

"So?"

"It's the same shade as the lipstick used to mark this girl. We found it at the end of the alley."

"Alright, good job. Take it back and compare it to the lipstick on the other girls. See if you can match them in anyway." Kagura ordered.

"Right away." the man said before taking the bag back.

"That's probably nothing."

"Why would you say that?"

"This guy has killed what... ten people in the last three months?"

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"He hasn't left a shard of evidence before so why would he mess up now?"

"He just got sloppy or careless _or_ we finally got lucky, who cares?"

"I doubt it. I would think he would just get better along the way."

"Whatever Mr. Gloom."

_That Evening..._

With his thoughts plagued with what he had seen earlier that day Inuyasha walked to his apartment, his mind too far off to notice someone before it grabbed his hand and jerked him to a stop, "huh?"

Kagome stood there, her eyes blood shot and puffy, tears swelled up again, "In-Inuyash!" She gasped as she leaned against his chest and let the tears roll down.

"Ka...Kagome?" Inuyasha asked and placed his arms around her.

"Who would do such an awful thing?! Kaede was a sweet little girl!"

"Someone told you..." Inuyasha whispered, he didn't know if he should have been one of the officers to go notify the family or not. Like Kagura had warned him, if the chief found out he had a personal connection to the Archor case then he might be taken off of it.

"Yes," Kagome said in-between sobs.

"I'm really sorry." Inuyasha assured as he held her tighter.

"I can't believe... this is happening."

Inuyasha let her have her moment for a while longer before he pried her away and told her they should go upstairs, she agreed and held onto his arm tightly as he made his way to his apartment then opened the door. The first thing he noticed was Sango and Miroku on the couch talking.

"Hey." Inuyasha greeted as him and Kagome walked in hand and hand.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked before she got up and walked over to her friend.

"Ka...Kaede's been... been... killed." Kagome whispered.

"What?!" Sango shouted.

"Who did it?" Miroku asked as he, too, walked over to Kagome.

"No one knows."

"But you'll figure it out! Right?!" Kagome pled as she looked up at Inuyasha, once again, on the brinks of tears.

"Of course."

"I'm so sorry Kagome." Sango said and hugged her.

"This is just awful." Miroku added.

Inuyasha's cellar phone began to ring in his pocket so he excused himself and walked a short distance away before answering it, "hello?"

"Hey! I have great news!" Kagura shouted.

"OK... What is it?" Inuyasha asked as he walked further away from his friends and over to the kitchen.

"There are finger prints on the lipstick container and they match the little girls!"

"Hm, that means it could be the right lipstick or just something Kaede had and the killer dropped to throw us off."

"Why do you always have to look on the bad side of things? They are still analyzing the chemical make up of the lipstick to see if it's a match…"

"I'm not. I'm just saying."

"Well, the DNA will be matched soon, I bet."

"I doubt it. It takes forever for the DNA to get process. If the lipstick is the same as the mark then we can move ahead."

"Hey, not this time. Chief has bumped this case up to the highest priority. You should see all the people they have working on this case. It's amazing."

"It is a serial killer... Were there any other figure prints on the lipstick container?"

"Yep. One but we can't find a match to it."

"Damn." Inuyasha whispered as he looked over to Kagome who was now crying again.

"But! There's two sets of DNA on the lipstick."

"You can't possibly think that the killer used it, do you?"

"Well... I don't know. That set of DNA isn't processed yet so we don't know anything about it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though." She just didn't want to think about what would happen if it turns out that they had a match. Whoever it was could always argue that they just borrowed the lipstick…

"It's probably just one of Kaede's friends." Inuyasha said exactly what she was worrying about.

"Yeah, yeah, you would say that" Kagura sighed.

"Besides, everyone thinks the killers a guy."

"It could be a girl or a guy that likes to wear lipstick." Kagura joked.

"Possibly. Call me back when you get more information." Inuyasha said before he hung up.

"Who was that?" Kagome asked as she used a handkerchief—that Sango had lent her—to whip her tears away.

"Kagura." Inuyasha answered as he walked back over to her.

"Does she have any news?" Kagome asked.

"... You know I can't tell you even if she did."

"Kaede was my sister!" Kagome protested.

"I know... but that still doesn't change the fact that I can't tell you."

"That's not fair!"

"Look." Inuyasha said and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Once we have a suspect you'll be the first I tell."

"You promise?" Kagome asked.

"I promise." Inuyasha answered.

To try and get Kagome's and everyone else's mind off what just happened they started to watch a movie. Sango and Miroku sat next to one another on the love seat while Miorku's arm was draped over Sango's shoulders. Kagome and Inuyasha where on the couch while he held Kagome in his arms, her eyes closed.

"Do you think someone has told Kikyou?" Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha took a deep breath but remained silent. Kikyou was someone he hadn't thought of in ages. All the thoughts he had tried to ward off came flooding back as soon as he heard the name. He started to date Kagome before realizing she was _the _Kagome Kikyou always talked about.

Kikyou and him met at their high school, and they went to a prestigious one at that. They had both lived in the dorms so Inuyasha never met her family and she only showed him pictures of Kaede and younger picture of Kagome. Once he did realize Kagome was Kikyou's sister he felt a little awkward about going out with her but got over it. It had been a while since he had even seen Kikyou and the two were dramatically different.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked then looked up at him.

"Huh?" he snapped back to the now.

"Do you think someone has told Kikyou?"

"Of course, the first thing we do is contact the family."

"I think... I should really go and visit her." Kagome said and placed her head back down on his chest.

"Is that so?" Inuyasha murmured dully.

"Yeah, it's been forever since we last talked and I don't think I've seen her face to face since she graduated high school."

"Oh." Inuyasha tried to focus more on what was happening in the movie than what had happened in the past.

"Do you want to come and meet Kikyou?" Kagome asked happily.

"Eh?"

Kagome knew they went to the same high school as one another but was blissfully ignorant of the fact that they knew each other let alone _dated_.

"Well... I'm really busy with the case and all..."

"Come on! You have to meet the rest of my family sooner or later."

"Um... not really…"

"So you don't think you'll stay with me long enough to meet my family?" Kagome scolded, she was not in any type of emotional state to have to deal with that type of attitude.

"No... that's not it... I just hate to meet the family... It's... uh..."

"Very awkward," Miroku finished his sentence for him, like the pal he was. Of course, Miroku and Sango could hear them talking better than they could hear the movie.

"Yes, very awkward."

"You can get over it." Kagome snapped.

"But—"

"You can get over it!" Kagome stated harsher than before.

"O..K. I'll meet your family... but do I really have to meet your sister?"

"Why not?"

Miroku was most interested in his answer. He was the only one Inuyasha told about his former relationship with Kagome's elder sister.

"Well... I... Uh... You are always saying all that stuff about her."

"You mean she's the rebel of the family? How she dropped out of college? How she doesn't have a stable job and all those types of things?"

"Yeah, that stuff."

"She really OK when you get to know her."

"Uh... but," Inuyasha had to keep trying to get out of seeing Kikyou. If he did then… That would mean Kagome would have to learn about their former relationship which would just lead to more trouble then he needed.

"No buts! You and I are going to visit my sister tomorrow." Kagome declared.

"Uh, I have to work tomorrow."

"After work then and if you work later than you usual do because you want to get out of going to meet my sister, I'll be real cross with you and you don't want that, do you?"

"No." Inuyasha sighed.

[A/N: Yes, because of the case Inuyasha works on Saturday]

_That Night, At Kikyou's...._

Kikyou sat awake on her bed while she stared out her window. It was a clear night but because of the city lights she couldn't see the stars, only the moon. She had called the police after Kaede never called her back and told them what happened all they did was ask if it was a possible prank call—Kikyou had to admit yes, that her sister had done this before but it felt different!—but the police couldn't do anything until she was missing for a prolonged period of time.

It was most likely due to the fact that she had changed her last name that she had yet to get the message that Kaede had been found dead in a back alleyway. At least that meant she could continue to hold out hope as she worried her mind out over her youngest sister. Kaede was her favorite sister as well. Yes, she liked Kagome but not as much as Kaede. Kaede was the only one that continued to call and come and see her after she dropped out of collage to follow her dreams.

Kaede admired Kikyou for doing so and would always tell her that. The rest of the family seemed to have disowned her, the Higurashi family name was a big deal and to how their eldest daughter drop out of college? Oh, no, that could not be made public knowledge. Kikyou didn't care too much, though. She didn't need her family's rich approval of what she did with her life. She didn't need them nagging her about how to live or who to see.

One of the only downsides of being disowned as a member of her family was the money. Her family owned a large clothes design company that her grandmother started when she was young. The Higurashis were loaded and didn't hide that fact or drop their sometimes snobbish attitudes that came with the money. Kikyou sometimes wished she could use some of that to pay for the rent or her phone bills or anything along that line but didn't want to have to deal with the family issues, rules, or events anymore so she grinned and bared it.

She didn't want the attitude or the fancy cars that came with that type of money. She wanted to do what everyone in her family didn't do due to the company. She wanted to pay her own way through the world. Three knocks on the door snapped Kikyou out of her deep thought. "Yes?"

"Can I come in?" Suikotsu asked.

"Yeah." Kikyou answered. Suikotsu opened the door and walked over to her then sat down next to her. "You nervous?"

"About what?" Kikyou asked knowing the answer.

"You know, your first gig."

"No. Not really."

"Then why aren't you asleep then?"

"Why aren't you?"

"You can't answer a question with another."

"Who says?"

Suikotsu sighed, "I can't sleep because I'm nervous for you."

"...Well, I don't know what to say to that. It could be a sweet thought or it could be an insult to my abilities."

"I don't mean it as an insult."

"I see. Truthfully, I can't sleep because I'm worried about Kaede."

I'm sure she just feels bad about prank calling you again. She'll be alright." Suikotsu said trying to comfort her by wrapping an arm around her.

"But what if the call was real?"

"Who would want to hurt Kaede?"

"I don't know."

"No one in their right mind would do such a thing."

"But not everyone _is_ in their right mind."

"True."

"Thank you." Kikyou whispered.

"For?" Suikotsu asked. "For trying to comfort me, it was a nice jester."

"You're welcome, then." Suikotsu smiled as he got up. "Get some sleep. You don't want to look tried tomorrow, right?"

"Of course not." Kikyou answered.

"Good night."

"Night."

* * *

**A/N:** I wrote this a while back so it isn't the greatest but I re-edited before posting it. Enjoy, I'll try to update with another chapter soon.

Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

_Saturday Morning, the 22 - At Inuyasha's Work..._

"Anything on the DNA yet?" Inuyasha asked as he walked to his desk that was surrounded by many others.

"Not yet." Kagura sighed, she sat in the desk across from Inuyasha's writing something on some paper.

Inuyasha sighed as he sat down, "of course. Any other leads?"

"No. We don't know where she was really killed or anything about the person who did it."

"Can we confirm the time of death or if it was really done by the Archer?" Currently in the city of Tokyo there was a serial killer by the name of Archer due to the fact he or she always left the marking of a pentagram with an arrow through it on the victim. Besides that, he or she does not kill in the same fashion nor has any of the victims had any connections or characteristics alike.

"We can't confirm that it is the Archer but we have been able to keep the press from doing anything on this killing. "

"How long will that last?" Inuyasha asked dully.

"Not very, channel six is planning on doing a story about it tonight and we can't stop them this time."

"I **hate** reporters."

"Who doesn't?"

"How about the time of death?"

"I have that one at least. Thursday between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m, like always."

"That's not too helpful."

"I know. How did your girlfriend take it?"

"Just like anyone else would if someone died in their family."

"That must have been enjoyable." Kagura said sarcastically.

"Yeah, it was great." Inuyasha murmured, "she's making me go meet her family now."

"Ouch, so you two are that serious?"

"I don't know... She's a little over three years younger than me and in college."

"I doubt the chief would take you from the case if he finds out your girlfriend's sister was one of the victims."

"I am good at my job..."

"Good? You are one of the best. That's why they hired you at such a young age. You should feel proud of the fact you were the youngest detectives in Japan."

"Sure." Inuyasha replied dully.

"Inuyasha!" a guy shouted.

"Huh?" Inuyasha turned his head to see a man holding up the phone.

"Your girlfriends on line one!" he shouted.

"Ugh." Inuyasha said and hit his head against his desk.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Kagura asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha sighed as he reached over to the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi!" Kagome greeted.

"What? I'm at work."

"I know, sorry. Tonight at eight meet me at Midnight."

"What? How can I meet you someone at eight at Midnight?" He heard Kagome giggle some.

"Midnight's a club! How could you not know that?"

"Oh... Why are we going to a club?" He hated those places.

"That's where my sister works. We will go see her there and have a date at the same time."

"Uh... are... you sure... that's a good idea?"

"Yep, why not?"

"Well... uh..." Inuyasha answered.

"Meet me there." Kagome said firmly and then hung up the phone.

"Great." Inuyasha said dully as he hung up as well.

_8:00 p.m. outside Club Midnight..._

His auburn eyes stared at the club as he waited for his new girlfriend to meet him there. He knew deep down in his gut that tonight wasn't going to end well. Saturday was just an over all bad day, too. At work they had no new leads on Keade's case or the Archer and the DNA results hadn't come back still.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted as she walked up to him.

"Hey."

"How do I look?" She asked as she spun around.

"Fine."

"Fine? That's it?" She wore a light purple strapless dress that ended before her knees.

"What else is there?"

"It's just… I haven't seen my sister is so long... I want to look my best."

"Alright," Inuyasha murmured.

"Fine, let's just go!" Kagome said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the door.

"Do we really have to do this?"

"Yes!" Kagome screamed as they walked in. The music was blaring and everyone was either drinking in the tables or dancing on the floor. "This looks like so much fun."

"Yeah, great fun," Inuyasha grunted. He hated places like these and never had a good time either.

"It'll be fun!"

"Uh-huh."

"Excuse me." Kagome smiled as she walked up to the bar tender.

"What will you have?" the bar tender asked.

"No, it's not that do you know Kikyou?"

"Kikyou? Hm, yeah, she'll be on in a moment."

"On?"

"Yeah."

"On what?" Kagome asked. The bar tender stared at Kagome blankly for a moment.

"Stage."

"Why?"

"Why are you looking for her?"

"She's my sister and I heard she worked here."

"Just wait." the bar tender said as he went down to a man that was calling for him.

"What's going on?" Kagome grumbled.

"I have no idea." Inuyasha just hoped Kikyou wasn't really working that night… "Let's leave."

"NO!" Kagome yelled.

"Damn."

_Back Stage..._

Kikyou took a few breathes as she watched the band get ready on stage.

"Nervous?" Shuikotsu asked as he walked up to her.

"No." Kikyou lied.

"You'll be fine."

"You better be good." Bankotsu grinned as he walked up to Kikyou.

"Uh...?"

"Hey." Shuikotsu jabbed Bankotsu in the side with his elbow.

"You'll be fine and you look great!" Jakotsu assured as he put his hands on Kikyou's shoulder.

"I know." Kikyou lied again. Kikyou's hair was down as she wore a dark blood red shade of lipstick and a black and white stripped horizontal skirt with a tight black V-neck tank top that had the British flag plastered on the front. Her shoes were knee high black boots.

"If you are good I'll give you a permit job here." Bankotsu declared.

"Thank you."

"That's _only _if you are good. If you do suck then at least the guys can have some eye-candy."

"Eh." Kikyou looked back out on stage.

"Bankotsu." Shuikotsu scolded.

"It true," Jakotsu laughed.

"Neither of you are helping." Shuikotsu whispered.

"It's time." a man said as he walked up to Kikyou.

"OK… here goes nothing," Kikyou took another breath.

"Do you think Kikyou's going to perform something?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha and him sat down at a table above the dance floor.

"I don't know." Inuyashsa answered. Everyone began to clap loud and fast.

"The band is done setting up." Kagome stated.

"Yep." Inuyasha dully said.

"You really hate it here? Midnight is one of the most popular clubs in Tokyo, anyone it's said that anyone that performs here will be picked up by a great music label."

"Can we _please _leave?"

"After I talk to Kikyou."

Shit, that was what he wanted to avoid.

"The next performance will be done by Mori Kikyou!" a man on stage declared.

"No way," Kagome gasped as she looked down on the stage. The area where she sat was on the second floor while the bar and dance floor and stage where on the first.

Kikyou's singing for a living? Inuyasha also looked down to the stage, she had always liked to sing in high school.

Kikyou walked onto the stage then and took the microphone. She looked back stage to see Bankotsu staring at her with a blank face while Shuikotsu and Jakotsu both giving her two thumbs up.

"You better be right about her." Bankotsu stated.

"Would I mange anyone that's not good?" Jakotsu asked.

"You've done it in the past."

"Eh... I promise she's good."

"Stop being so negative." Shuikotsu ordered.

Kikyou looked around on the dance floor then up on the second floor. Her eyes widened as she saw Kagome and Inuyasha sitting there. That was not… they couldn't be… could they?

"What's she doing?!" Bankotsu barked.

"Calm down." Jakotsu whispered as he waved his hand up and down.

"Kikyou." the bassist whispered.

"Oh, right." She walked back to the guitar man and whispered something in his ears then went back to her original spot. He then said something to the others and began to play. After a short solo the bass entered along with the drummer.

_"__Love can be so strange  
Don't it amaze you?  
Everytime you give yourself away  
It comes back to haunt you_"

"What's she doing? That's not the right song." Jakotsu observed.

"Maybe she feels better with that one." Shuikotsu shrugged.

"I don't care! As long as she is good," Bankotsu grumbled.

"_Love's an elusive charm and it can be painful  
To understand this crazy world  
But you're not gonna crack  
No you're never gonna crack_

_Run my baby run my baby run  
Run from the noise of the street and the loaded gun  
Too late for solutions to solve in the setting sun  
So run my baby run my baby run_

_Life can be so cruel  
Don't it astound you?  
So when nothing seems too certain or safe  
Let it burn through you  
You can keep it pure on the inside  
And you know what you believe to be right  
So you're not gonna crack  
No you're never gonna crack_

_Run my baby run my baby run  
Run from the noise of the street and the loaded gun  
Too late for solutions to solve in the setting sun  
So run my baby run my baby run_

_Find out who you are before you regret it  
Because life is so short, there's no time to waste it_

_So run my baby run my baby run  
Run from the noise of the street and the loaded gun  
Too late for solutions to solve in the setting sun  
So run my baby run my baby run  
Run my baby run my baby run  
Run my baby run my baby run  
Run my baby run my baby run  
Run my baby run my baby run"_

When she finished a roaring applause took over the place and Kikyou smiled to herself with relief. That went far better than she had ever hoped. Was it because… he was there?

"Thank you everyone!" Kikyou smiled before she waved and left the stage. Bankotsu had only scheduled for her the sing one song because he didn't know if she was good enough to play at his place or not.

"That was actually good." Bankotsu laughed.

"Thank you."

"Do we have a deal?" Jakotsu grinned as he wrapped his hands together all starry eyed.

"We have a deal." Bankotsu said and swung his arm around Jakotsu neck. "You are a manger for a good singer for once!" He laughed.

Jakotsu also began to laugh, "aren't I lucky?!"

"You were amazing," Shuikotsu said as he walked up to her.

"Thank you," Kikyou smiled when he kissed her on the cheek. "I was worried something would go wrong."

"Now you have a job doing something you love."

"And I have you to thank for it all!" Kikyou said as she grabbed Shuikotsu's hands. "Thank you so much for everything."

"Uh," Shuikotsu's cheeks began to grow a little pink. "It... It was nothing." Shuikotsu assured followed by a nervous laugh.

"No! Really! If you hadn't—" Kikyou was cut off by somone yelling her name. Kikyou looked over at to see Kagome. She had just got back stage and was, pretty much, dragging Inuyasha, by the hand, with her. "Ka... Kagome?" Kikyou stuttered as she and let go of Shuikotsu hands.

Shuikotsu let out a large sigh as he crossed his arms.

"You should have made your move then." Jakotsu whispered.

"Mm-hm! That would have been a perfect time." Bankotsu remarked.

"She's my friend and roommate… that's it."

"Uh-huh." Jakotsu and Bankotsu both answered.

"Hey." Shuikotsu grumbled.

"What are you doing here?" Kikyou asked dully as she looked at Kagome and Inuyasha's hands together. Inuyasha looked nervously at Kikyou as Kagome let go of his hand.

"I came to see you." Kagome replied.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"What are you talking about?" Kagome laughed nervously. "Oh! Kikyou, this is my boyfriend, Inuyasha."

"Boyfriend, huh?" Kikyou said looked at Inuyasha.

"Uh... Hi."

"Nice to meet you," Kikyou nodded.

"Guess what?" Kagome smiled.

"Huh?" Kikyou asked.

"You and Inuyasha both went to the same high school."

"Oh, really?" Kikyou dully murmured as looked at Inuyasha then over at Kagome. "I didn't know that." Kagome must not have known about Inuyasha and her, ha, that jerk off probably didn't want to ruin his relationship with her little sister. Really, of all the woman in Tokyo, why couldn't he find someone else? Besides, she was a little too young for Inuyasha in Kikyou's opinion.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was astonished that Kikyou was keeping her lips sealed about their high school relationship, did… she just not care anymore? It had been forever ago…

"Inuyasha," Kagome elbowed him in the side, "be polite."

"Uh, right, nice to meet you, as well." He stumbled over his words, this was just too strange. At least now Kagome won't find out about them… right? That was a good thing.

"What do you want?" Kikyou asked firmly.

"I just... I just thought that we should really talk... you know... since what happened to Kaede and all." Kagome said as she looked down at the ground.

"Happened to Kaede?"

"What do you mean by that?!" Kagome shouted.

"What do _you_ mean?"

"Kaede was murdered on Thursday!" Kagome yelled. "What?" Kikyou choked, shock splattered across her face as she took a step back, it was like all the air had been sucked from her lungs.

"Didn't anyone contact you?" Inuyasha asked.

"N-no," Kikyou said then covered her mouth. She had tears in her eyes but did not let them fall.

"What's wrong?" Shuikotsu asked as he walked up to Kikyou.

"Kaede has been murdered," Kikyou mumbled behind her hand.

"Uh?! That's awful! I'm so sorry." Shuikotsu reassured as he put his hands on Kikyou's shoulders.

Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder if that was her new boyfriend, but what was more important was how they could have missed informing one of Kaede's family members. Kikyou was the daughter of a different man that Kaede and Kagome, their mother had married once before Kagome's father, so Kikyou had a different last name… so was that it?

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, "why didn't anyone contact her?"

"I have no idea. I'll talk to someone about it on Monday."

"You better."

"Why would you know?" Kikyou asked.

"Inuyasha is the leading detective on the case." Kagome said proudly. "That means it will be solved in no time."

"That's not actually true." Inuyasha stated.

Kikyou nodded, Inuyasha had always wanted to join the police force, at least he was doing what he wanted to do, too.

"Kikyou, the family would like to see you at her funeral." Kagome offered.

"Of course I'll go." Kikyou snapped.

"Here's the information on it," Kagome handed her a piece of paper. Kikyou took it from her hand and looked it over.

"Shuikotsu…?" Kikyou whispered.

"Yes?"

"Will you come with me? Kaede liked you a great deal."

"Of course," Shuikotsu answered.

"Uh, the family was planning on having it just the family and close family friends." Kagome stated. Kikyou glared at Kagome coldly. "Hahaha, I'm sure it will be fine for your boyfriend to come." Kagome smiled falsely as she somewhat hid behind Inuyasha.

"Boyfriend?" Kikyou asked with a stunned look on her face.

"We aren't going out," Shuikotsu grumbled as he looked to his left.

"Oh, sorry, I just assumed..."

"You assumed wrong. Shuikotsu's just my roommate."

"Yeah," Shuikotsu sighed. He was 'just' her roommate, she had to add _just_ in there so firmly, it killed him.

"Oh..." Kagome said.

"Hey! What about that call?" Shuikotsu's asked.

"Huh?" Kikyou looked up at Shuikotsu.

"The one form Kaede on Thursday?"

"Oh, yes!"

"What call?" Kagome asked.

"Kaede called my Thursday night..." Kikyou said as she looked down at the ground with sorrowful eyes.

"Night?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes."

"That's not possible."

"Why not?!" Kikyou asked harshly.

"Uh, Kaede was killed Thursday between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., that afternoon, she couldn't have called you that night."

"But she called me! That night! I remember it clearly! I answered the phone and she started to pleaded for my help about something then a man said 'goodbye' then hung up."

"Why didn't you call the police?!" Kagome screamed.

"I did!! The jackass just said it must be another prank call and that I couldn't do anything unless she was reported missing after a prolonged period of time!"

"Kaede was killed that _afternoon_ it couldn't have been her." Inuyasha declared.

"I know my sister's voice!"

"I'm sure you do but—" Kikyou cut off Inuyasha.

"It was her."

Inuyasha sighed, "fine, do you have any proof it was her? Not just some actual prank call?"

"I know my sister's voice." Kikyou repeated.

"I know," Inuyasha heard her already, "did you record the message or anything?"

"No." That was a ridiculous idea, who would have thought to do that?

"Then no one will believe you so don't go around telling people that." Keade was most likely killed by the Archer and never before had he had his victim call a family member. That would have been too personal for him and a risk.

"Jackass," Kikyou whispered then looked away.

"Inuyasha's just warning you! If the coroner says she died at noon then no one will believe you," Kagome warmed.

"I don't need you complaining to me right now," Kikyou declared and glared at Kagome. "I'm going home. I'll see you at the funeral," she before she walked away.

"Wait up!" Shuikotsu yelled as he ran after Kikyou.

"Sometimes! She can be such a… problem." Kagome growled. "Let's go try and have a good time." Kagome said and grabbed Inuyasha's hand.

"Wait," Inuyasha groaned as she dragged him along.


	3. Chapter 3

_At Suikotsu & Kikyou's..._

"How dare he..." Kikyou simmered as they walked into their small apartment.

"I'm sure he's right," Suikotsu argued lightly.

"I hate him." Kikyou bickered before she threw her keys on the counter.

"Is that fair to say after you just met him?"

"I didn't _just _meet him. We went out in high school."

"Huh? And now he's dating you younger sister?"

"It seems like Kagome is ignorant of that fact." Kikyou stated as she sat down on the couch, her auburn eyes bitterly glued to the window but then all her ill will died as she covered her face with her hands, "how could this be happening?" It was not Inuyasha that hurt her heart; it was the loss of her sister, of her lovely, loving, sister, Kaede.

"I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do to help…" Suikotsu offered and sat down next to her. "Just say the word," his hand hovered over her shoulders before he rested it on her leg instead.

"Thank you," Kikyou tried her best to smile as she removed her hands from her face. "I couldn't complain to you though."

"Why?"

"You lost your whole family; I would feel bad about complaining about just losing my sister."

"There's nothing 'just' about it, a loss is a loss, no matter what size. So, Kikyou, it's fine. It's the same hardship, I wouldn't mind at all." Suikotsu promised as he slowly began to hug her.

She didn't notice the almost-hug, she was still looking out the window, and when her phone went off she got up and completely dodged it—accidently—as she answered it. Suikotsu sighed as he fell down onto the couch. He was sure it wouldn't have been the best idea anyway. She had just lost a family member… she probably didn't need any declarations of love on top of that.

"Hello?" Kikyou answered the phone.

"MMM!!! MM!! MMM!!" someone tried to scream from the other side of the phone.

"Who the hell is this?!"

"Ki-Kikyou!!" a girl shouted.

"Tsubaki?"

"Kikyou! You have to help me!! There's this—"

"Tsubaki?! Are you there?!"

"Help!!" Tsubaki screamed but it seemed like from far away.

"Where are you!?"

"Help!! Someone, please!!!" Tsubaki cried out. It sounded like a struggle was taking place on the other side of the line.

"Tsubaki! Where are you?!"

"Kikyou!!" Tsubaki shouted then everything went silent.

"Tsubaki?" Kikyou whispered. "Hello! Are you there?!" She held her breath at the sound of footsteps then the same eerie, charismatic, voice whispered to her.

"Goodbye."

"Hello! Hello?!"

"What's wrong?" Suikotsu had been behind her for longer than she had noticed.

"Tsubaki just called! It was just like the time Kaede called me." She explained as she dialed the police. "Hello? Yes, my friend just called and she was crying for someone to help her. She said that someone was... Yes, those were me… No this isn't another prank! Wait! Please! My sister was—" Then she slammed the phone down. "Damn them, the police are morons!"

"What happened?"

"Because I always call when Kaede made prank calls they think this is another one!"

"How would they know about those?"

"It sounds like the same jackass I got most of the time."

"I'm sure it was nothing." Suikotsu said trying to comfort Kikyou.

"No! What happens if the same thing happens to Tsubaki?"

"I'm sure nothing has happened to her. It could be just some prank she's playing on you."

"I doubt it. That doesn't sound like something she would do. I'm going to go check her place." Kikyou grabbed her keys and ran out the door.

"Hey! I'll come with you!" Suikotsu shouted as he ran after her then shut the door.

_Sunday, 23, 8:00 A.M. -_

"What do we have?" Inuyasha asked as he walked down a small alley way. More people than before were scrambling around then last time.

"A female, age 22," Kagura started as Inuyasha walked up to her, "by the way, the chief is sorry about having to call us in on our only day off."

"Yeah, right," but it wasn't like crime stopped just because he had a day off. "How did it happen?"

"Her throat was slit clean across." Kagura explained as she pulled the white cover off to show Tsubaki's body. "She seemed to be bound and tortured before being killed. Her body was defiantly moved from the original location killing place. She has the mark." Kagura said as she pointed to a pentagram with an arrow through it engraved on her left leg.

"Damn."

"It seems he has been acting up more then usual lately."

"Yeah... or a copy cat is."

"That could be it., it's hard to tell when he changes his MO all the time."

"Detectives!" A woman shouted as she ran over to them.

"Yes?" Kagura answered as she walked up to her.

"We found this in a dumpster a few alleys down." She said as she handed Kagura a clear plastic bag. Kagura took it and looked at it.

"A knife?" Kagura stated a butcher's knife to be more accurate.

"You couldn't possibly think that it's the killers?" Inuyasha asked as he snatched it away from Kagura.

"It could be, like you said it could be a copycat," she shrugged," maybe someone just wanted her dead and decided that if they put that symbol on her leg then we'd think it was the Archer."

"Good job," Inuyasha nodded to the girl who had found it. He was sure if it was the murder weapon then it was a copycat that just wanted the heat taken off of him. The Archer was just too smart to do something so dumb.

_10:00 a.m. at Kikyou's..._

"Tsubaki, it's Kikyou again. I know you must be sick of all these calls but _please _call me back ASAP."

"She didn't answer?" Suikotsu asked as he flipped through the TV channels.

"Yeah..." Kikyou whispered. Please be OK, Kikyou closed her eyes, no way two people she knew could die in one week… and to be murder on top of that?

"Come here!" Suikotsu shouted.

"What?" Kikyou gripped as she sat down next to him.

"Watch," Suikotsu said as he turned the volume up on the TV.

"Another killing by Archer took place yesterday and the body was found this morning." the male reporter said. "Her name was Nakamura Tsubaki, age 22. The police will not make a comment but it is a fact that she was found with the same pentagram and arrow on her left leg like all the other victims. We will update you when we receive more information about this horrible crime. Now to the Sports with—" Suikotsu turned off the TV.

"No…"

Suikotsu sighed quietly to himself, that wasn't good. Two people close to Kikyou; it couldn't just be a coincidence, could it?

"It can't be! She can't be dead." Kikyou felt like all the air had been sucked from her lugs as she got up and started to pace around the room.

"It's not your fault." Suikotsu said what he knew she was thinking.

"Damn the police for not listing to me again!"

"I know how good of friends you were with Tsubaki." Suikotsu said as he walked up to Kikyou. "If there's anything I can do, please, just ask. I really want to help you threw this awful time." put his hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you… That's it!" Kikyou shouted.

"Huh?"

"I have to go somewhere. Goodbye." Kikyou said as she ran out the door.

"Bye..." Suikotsu sighed. He knew a normal person would be crying right about then but not her… he'll be there when she falls out of denial.

_10:30 a.m. At the Tokyo police station..._

"Hey, Inuyasha," a man said as he walked up to Inuyasha and Kagura at their desks. They were both looking threw pictures and other papers.

"Huh?" Inuyasha murmured without taking his eyes away from what he was reading.

"Someone's here to see you."

"Tell them I'm busy."

"It's a really hot girl and," he saw the crude look from Kagura, "she's got some sort of information?"

Inuyasha looked up at him, "Kagome?" She would say the stupidest things to get him to go to lunch with her some days.

"No, but she kind of looks like her."

"What's her name?" Kagura asked without looking away from the photos she was looking threw.

"Uh... she said it was... Kikyou! That's it."

"Huh? Why is she here?"

"I don't know. She said she wanted to see you right now."

"Hm," Inuyasha looked down at his desk for a moment but then got out of his chair, "where is she?"

"Kikyou?" Inuyasha asked as he walked up the front desk. Kikyou turned around to see him dumbfounded but there. "What is it?"

From the expression on her face you could tell she was clearly ticked off, oh how he knew that look well.

"What's wrong with you people?!"

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, if she was looking for an answer to her sister's case already she was out of luck. It was going to take a much longer time.

"I called last night to tell you so called police officers that Tsubaki called me in a panic yesterday! Did you listen to me?! NO! You ignored my call and now look what happened!"

"What? I didn't know..." Inuyasha said and took a step away from Kikyou. "Where did she call you from?"

"I don't know."

"What did she say?"

"She kept crying for help, then there sounded like a struggle, she screamed my name...." Kikyou looked away with her eyes closed. "Then there was nothing for a short time. I heard footsteps then a man said 'goodbye' the same voice from the time Kaede called me."

"What time did this happen?"

"Around nine when I got back from Midnight," Kikyou said.

"Nine... at night?"

"Yes, at night." Kikyou grumbled then looked at him.

"That's not possible..."

"Why _not_?"

"Tsubaki was killed... Tsubaki was killed at noon on Saturday. There's no way she could have called you at night if she was already dead."

"I'm telling the truth!"

"I'm not saying you're not. I'm just saying that there's no way she could have." In less it was a recording of some sort, but then why would the killer have called Kikyou of all people?

"Then you think I'm making shit up!"

"No."

"Inuyasha!" Kagura shouted then ran up to him flinging a piece of paper around in her hands.

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"Look!" she handed him the paper. He took it from her and looked it over. "The finger prints on the lipstick container found near Kaede and the finger prints on the knife found near Tsubaki match!"

"Wh—What?" Inuyasha asked.

"Sadly, the prints aren't on record but they _are _a match."

That answered that. There was no way the Archer would be so careless, it was a copycat killer that just wanted to get rid of a few people and try to lay the blame on the infamous serial killer.

"Uh, Kikyou..." Inuyasha mumbled as he looked up at her.

"What?" Kikyou asked annoyed.

"You knew Tsubaki?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes, we were good friends. We went to elementary school and middle school together," Kikyou answered.

"I see." Inuyasha looked down at the paper. First, she gets a call from Kaede supposedly and now Tsubaki on the night they were killed? She knew both of them… Inuyasha handed the paper to Kagura. "We need to talk." Inuyasha said to Kikyou.

"What do you call this?" She asked in a deeply irked tone.

"Just wait here for a while, OK?" With reluctance Kikyou nodded. She wasn't sure how much time had passed before he came back out. "Come on." Inuyasha nodded as he walked out the front doors. Kikyou didn't follow him for a short time but then gave up.

"What?" Kikyou asked as they walked down the street.

"Don't tell anyone about the calls you get." Inuyasha ordered as he crossed his arms.

"Why?" Kikyou asked.

"They will think it's too suspicious." Inuyasha ordered, especially since they didn't happen. He checked Kikyou's phone—both her cell and landline—only to see that no calls were placed from either girls around the times she said. Actually, no calls were placed to her apartment or cell between eleven and midnight on the night Kaede was killed or the other night between eight and ten.

But… why would Kikyou lie?

"Suspicious?"

"Yeah, the _dead_ girls are calling you."

"I swear it happened."

"I'm sure it did," but he didn't really mean it, maybe it was her way of coping?

"Forget it. I don't know why I thought it would be helpful to come to you anyway." Kikyou growled as she began to walk away from him.

"Wait! Thanks."

"For?" Kikyou turned to look at him.

Not telling Kagome... about us."

"I figured she didn't know. Why should I have brought it up? The past is the past."

"Hey!" Kagura shouted as soon as Inuyasha entered the station.

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"Some other detectives were talking to some of Tsubaki's close friends and it turns out she just got in a big fight with someone."

"Big enough to kill over?"

"Perhaps, come and hear them out." Kagura said as she began to walk.

"Fine." He followed her back to their desks where someone was sitting in his chair.

"Hey." Inuyasha growled.

"Oh, hello there." Koga smirked with a smug look on his face as he turned around in the chair. Koga was a detective just like Inuyasha was. He was also one of the bests, just like Inuyasha. They weren't friends whatsoever more like rivals and were rarely put on the same case, they couldn't work together properly.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I work here."

"Why are you in my chair?!" Inuyasha shouted. Inuyasha put all his strength into spinning the chair around so Koga would fall out of it, like he did.

"Hey!" Koga shouted as he jumped off the floor.

"Keh," Inuyasha looked away from him.

"Boys, boys, let's all try to get alone." Kagura sighed, children, really.

"Yeah, whatever," Koga scoffed.

"Tell Inuyasha what you told me." Kagura asked.

"I was talking to one of Tsubaki's best friends and she said—"

"Why were you talking to one of Tsubaki's friends?! This isn't your case!"

"It is now." Koga grinned.

"What?!"

"Calm down. Chief has ordered all our best effort put into any case that could be related to the Archer." Kagura explained.

"Damn." Inuyasha mumbled to himself.

"Like I was saying," Koga started, "I was talking to one of Tsubaki's best friends and she said that her and some girl named Kikyou had just got into a huge fight. They both had the same manger but he had to let one of them go due to unforeseen reasons. Kikyou trumpet Tsubaki in the talent department so Kikyou stayed and Tsuabki got kicked to the curb. It seems that Tsubaki had started a large fight with this Kikyou girl in front of a few friends three nights before she was killed. After Tsubaki cursed Kikyou again, apparently she had told a few of her friends that she knew that Kikyou's songs weren't original… which could get this Kikyou into a whole heck of a lot of trouble. Perfect motive."

"Kikyou?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah, that's the name."

"The same Kikyou that was just here?" Kagura inquired. "Didn't that girl say she was one of Tsubaki's friends?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered but she had neglected to mention the huge blow out fight.

"We defiantly need to bring her in for questioning." Koga said.

"Now that I think about it, isn't Kikyou also Kaede's older sister?" Kagura asked.

"That little girl that was recently killed?" Koga asked.

"Mm-hm." Kagura answered.

"It can't be her..." Inuyasha stated. "She wouldn't have killed her younger sister."

"We should at least bring her in for questioning."

"Why? Because two girls got into a fight and she said some things? That would never hold up in court." But Inuyasha knew that was exactly what they were supposed to do, follow all the leads no matter where they took them.

"Why are you trying so hard to defend this girl?" Koga asked suspiciously.

"I'm not trying anything. It's the truth."

"Hey!" a man shouted as he ran up to Inuyasha and the others.

"What is it?" Koga asked.

"It's another body," the man answered.

"Was the Archer?" Kagura asked.

"It has the mark," the man nodded. "It was just found. It seems that someone called in on an anonymous tip that a body was dumped in an alley way. Someone went to check it out and it turned out to be true."

"Did the person say anything about the one how dumped the body?"

"Not much. Just it seemed to be a woman about five foot six who did it."

"A woman?"

"That's right…"

"Really?" Kagura asked.

"Yes." the man said with annoyance.

"Let's just go already." Inuyasha sighed, that was Kikyou's height, too.

_10:00 p.m. at Kikyou's..._

Kikyou opened the door to her apartment. As she walked in she threw her keys on the counter then shut the door. "Suikotsu?" Kikyou called out. The lights were off but the TV was on. "Are you here?" Kikyou asked as she walked into the kitchen like area. She looked around the living room as she opened the cabinet and took out some chips. He was probably just studying in his room. He was in medical school. She popped open the bag.

As soon as she got a chip into her mouth the phone began to ring. "Mm?" she reached over to the phone and grabbed it. "Hello?" she said once she swallowed the chip.

"MMMM!! MMM!!" someone screamed from the other side of the phone. Kikyou froze in fear. "Help me!" a man shouted.

**A/N**: Thanks for reading and the review :)

Enjoy.


	4. Chapter 4

"Please! Someone!"

"Ss... Seno?" Kikyou asked. Seno was an overall nice guy that she he become rather close friends with while she was working at a coffee house, they had recently broken up after a few months of dating.

"Kikyou?! Kikyou help me!" Seno cried.

"What's going on?! Where are you?!"

"Please... please... this man... he... he's going kill me…" you could tell from Seno's cracked voice he was about to cry.

"Where are you?!"

"All for you," the same cruel, cool, charismatic voice whispered.

"You asshole! Don't you dare touch Seno!" She then heard a gun shout from the other side of the phone. "Seno! Seno!"

"Good bye." Then she heard nothing but dial tone.

"No." Kikyou whispered to herself and then fell to her knees. What the hell's going on?! After she regained her senses she stood up and dialed the police. She had little hope that it would work this time.

"Hello?" the voice from the other side of the phone said. "Hello? Someone there?" Kikyou dropped the phone as she stared with wide eyes at the TV.

"Hello?" the phone said again. A picture of a man with short brown hair and dark brown eyes was on the TV.

"His name was Akebone Seno. He was found dead today just past noon." the report stated.

"Hello?! Is anyone there?!" the phone shouted. Kikyou snapped out of her shock and picked up the phone.

"I'm so sorry." Kikyou said, "wrong number," she then hung up.

"What the hell is going on?" Kikyou whispered to herself. "Suikotsu!?" she shouted as she ran to his door.

"Are you in there?!" Kikyou knocked hard three times on his door. There was no answer so she opened it up. No one was in the room. "Suikotsu?"

Not him, please, not him.

_10:30 p.m. At the police station..._

Inuyasha yawned as he leaned back in his chair. "At least we know that the little girl's killer, Tsubaki's killer, and Seno's killer where all the same person." Koga said as he dropped some papers onto Inuyasha's desk.

"So the finger prints on the gun found near the crime scene match the ones on the knife and the ones on the lipstick container?" Kagura asked.

"Yep."

"Now, wait a minute." Inuyasha ordered, "we don't know if that's the right knife yet nor if that lipstick container has anything to do with Kaede's murder. Not to mention, the ballistic report on the gun hasn't come back yet, either. Meaning, we don't know if that's the right weapon or not."

"Come on! The same set of finger prints on two murder weapons and the lipstick container that has the same shade as lipstick used to put the mark on that girl's leg? You can't think that was just coincidence." Koga declared.

"No. But it wouldn't even be enough for an arrest warren." Inuyasha said.

"Just wait. That knife will come back positive with Tsubaki's blood. They'll match the gun to Seno's murder and the lipstick to Kaede's. Connecting all three together, we'd just have to find the right finger prints." Kagura stated.

"Possibly," Inuyasha sighed.

"You are too negative on this whole thing." Koga scoffed.

"Sure." Inuyasha said as he closed his eyes.

"Results on the lipstick," a girl said as she dropped some paper on Inuyasha's desk, "and on the knife."

"How could that be?" Inuyasha asked as he picked up the paper.

"Everyone was ordered to put all their effort into these cases, enjoy."

"What's it say?" Kagura asked.

"The knife is the weapon used to kill Tsubaki..."

"The lipstick?" Koga inquired.

"DNA on the lipstick matches that of Kaede's and it's the same chemical make up as the lipstick on her leg..."

"Ha! That means, all we have to do is find out whose finger prints those are and we'll nail Archer." Koga stated.

"No way," Inuyasha laughed.

"What?" Koga asked.

"There's no way in hell the Archer would all of a sudden become this sloppy with his work. We've been chasing him for _months_ and he's never left any sort of clue tell now. It's has to be a copycat."

"Whatever, we'll just have to see what happens when we get this guy," Kagura said.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well! That's enough for one night." Koga declared as he stretched his arms."I'm going home."

"Yeah, I should get going as well." Kagura said.

"Goodnight." Inuyasha said.

"You going home yet?" Kagura asked.

"Not yet."

"Hm, fine, goodnight then." Kagura waved as she walked off. Inuyasha sat there looking at the papers piled on his desk then pushed some aside. He pulled open one of his drawers and pulled out a file labeled 'Archer Killer' and set it on his desk. Inside the folder were pictures of those that were killed by AK and descriptions on where they were dumped, when they were killed, and how they were killed.

Inuyasha accepted the copycat was good but he or she was not Archer…

_11:00 p.m. at Kikyou's..._

Kikyou sat on the couch with her kneels against her chest as she stared at the TV not really paying attention to what was on. Seno... Kaede... Tsubaki... what's going on? The door swung open and Suikotsu stumbled in holding his head tightly, like he was in some sort of pain.

"Sh...Suikotsu?" Kikyou asked as she stumbled off the couch and over to her.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she reached him. He was now leaning over the counter still holding his head.

"My medicine... hurry," he ordered.

"Right," Kikyou nodded as she ran into his room quickly coming out with a bottle in her hands. She opened it then handed it to Suikotsu.

"Thank you," he said as he shock two piles out of the bottle and into his hand. As quickly as he could, he threw them into his mouth then swallowed them.

"Sit down," Kikyou suggested. She then helped Suikotsu over to the couch. "Will you be alright now?"

"Mm-hm," Suikotsu answered, he suffered from serious migraines every now and then. "Just... wait for the meds to kick in." After five minutes of the only sound in the room coming from the TV Kikyou finally talked.

"I got another call..." she whispered.

"Huh?" Suikotsu looked over at her.

"It was just like the ones from Tsubaki and Kaede. This time it was Seno... then I saw, on the news, his dead body was found at noon today."

"I'm sorry…"

"How could that be?!" Kikyou shouted. She leaned over closer to Suikotsu.

"What?" Suikotsu asked a little taken back by her action but he wrapped his hands around her never the less.

"How could he have called me around ten tonight if he was already dead?!"

"I don't know..."

"What's going on?! Why is everyone I know getting killed? I was so worried when you weren't here that you wouldn't… come back."

"It's OK, I'm here. I'm sure the police will catch this sick bastard soon."

"I hope so… How do you feel now?"

"Hm, fine. I'm going to bed now." Suikotsu said. "Oh, and if there's anything I can do for you—"

"I know." Kikyou smiled. "Goodnight."

"Don't go out by yourself, OK?"

"You too."

_Monday, the 24, 4:45 p.m. - At Tomoe's Coffee House..._

"It's a truly awful thing, what happened to Seno, that is." Tomoe, the coffee shop owner, said.

"Yes, it is." Kagura agreed.

"We were hoping that you would know who might want to hurt him." Koga stated.

"Hm, I don't want to point any figures but..." Tomeo murmured.

"But what?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well... A Ms. Mori Kikyou use to work at this coffee house with Seno. They were good friends, from what I could tell. I know, from what the other staff members told me, that Seno asked Kikyou out and she accepted. They dated for a while until I hear he cheated on her with another woman. Soon after, Kikyou quiet.

"Some of the girls, that work here, say that she was crushed by what Seno did and whenever he tried to talk to her she would start to yell at him right away. I'm not saying that Kikyou did this! Oh, heavens no, she was a kind girl... but I just thought I should mention it."

"A Mori Kikyou?" Koga asked.

"Yep."

"Really?" Koga said with a smirk.

"So, she's the older sister of the first victim, the one that Tsubaki's friends pointed fingers at and a heart broken girl from Seno. Now they are all dead." Koga said as they left the coffee house.

"There's no real proof that Kikyou did any of this!" Inuyasha declared but not even he could believe that anymore… he really wanted to get her fingerprints.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Koga asked.

"He knows Kikyou." Kagura stated.

"I get it! You know this girl and that's why you are being so defensive."

"It's not like that! We aren't friends or anything."

"She's the only suspect that we have now." Kagura said, "we should at least try and talk to her about all this."

"I agree fully." Koga declared.

"Well…" Inuyasha couldn't say no, but if Kikyou was going after all those that had wronged her he surely should be on that list. Then again, it was Kikyou and she… no, she just couldn't.

"Inuyasha!!" Kagome shouted and ran up to him.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked.

"I was just about to get some coffee when I saw you." Kagome said with a smile.

"Kagome," Koga grinned and walked up to her. "You're still seeing this loser?"

"I'll kill you," Inuyasha growled.

"Now, now," Kagura sighed.

"Haha, knock it off," Kagome smiled.

"Why don't you dump him and go out with a _real_ man?" Koga asked and pulled Kagome near him.

"Hands off!" Inuyasha shouted and pulled Kagome away from Koga.

"I'm sorry. I'm happy with Inuyasha."

"Hmph, when he does something dumb and you two break up, you know where you can go." Koga said and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Kagura asked.

"It's almost 5 and I'm off! See ya' tomorrow! I don't feel like working over time tonight." Koga answered as he waved goodbye.

"Yeah, same here," Kagura said, "I'll see you tomorrow. We can talk to Kikyou then."

"Talk to Kikyou? My sister, Kikyou?" Kagome asked.

"Uh...." Inuyasha didn't know what he could say.

"Uh, yes," Kagome said mocking Inuyasha a little. "Why?"

"I can't tell you."

"Inuyasha!"

"You are still working on Kaede's case, right?! Does it have anything to do with that?! Remember what you promised me?!"

"Yeah..." Inuyasha mumbled. He promised he would tell her once we had a suspect. "She knows the latest victim. That's all. We just want to ask her if she knows anyone that could have wanted to hurt him."

"Oh. Why didn't you just say that? Come on! Let's get some coffee together." She said as she grabbed his hand.

"Alright..."

_10:00 p.m. - At club Midnight..._

Koga, Ginta, and Hakkaku were at the bar drinking. Hakkaku and Ginta tried to flirt with some pretty girls that sat down next to them but failed miserably and caused the girls to run away. "You two are so pathetic," Koga laughed.

"Shut up." Hakkaku growled.

"Not everyone is as good with the ladies as you are," Ginta grunted.

"True."

"Hm, looks like another band is getting ready to play," Hakkaku stated.

"Ow, look at that hottie," Ginta nodded.

"Mm?" Koga turned around and looked at the stage. Kikyou was at the microphone. "She is pretty good looking. But pales in comparison of my beloved Kagome."

"You do know she is **already **seeing someone?" Ginta asked.

"She'll break up with that idiot soon enough!"

"Uh-huh." Hakkuka sighed.

"What was that?" Koga growled.

"Nothing," Hakkuka murmured.

"Hello. I hope you're having a good time tonight. My names Mori Kikyou and I'll be entertaining you for a while." Kikyou spoke into the microphone.

"Did she say Mori?!" Koga shouted.

"Yeah, why?" Ginta asked.

That's the Kikyou, Koga glanced to the stage amazed. She was supposed to be a killer? Well, he had seen more surprising things.

"Hey! Koga!" Kagome shouted and ran up to him and his friends.

"Kagome!" Koga shouted in joy and grabbed her hands. "How are you?"

"Hands off!!" Inuyasha shouted and hit Koga's hands away from Kagome's.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Koga growled.

"We're on a date." Kagome gleamed. Inuyasha, much against his will, was dragged to the club by Kagome, Sango, and Miroku.

"Its' been a while." Sango said as she walked up to Koga.

"Hey, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha," Ginta greeted.

"Hey'ya," Miroku waved as he put his hand on Sango's shoulder.

"What brings you here tonight?" Hakkuka asked.

"Kagome wanted us to come see her sister perform." Sango answered as she looked up on stage.

"That her?" she asked.

"Yep!" Kagome answered.

"Wait?! Kikyou's your sister?!" Koga asked.

"Yeah, do you know her?"

"Well," Koga looked over to Inuyasha. Inuyasha was singling for him to shut up and he did so.

"No." Koga answered.

"Oh."

The guitar started to play lightly then the key board entered with a normal piano sound.

"Everything you think you know baby  
Is wrong  
And everything you think you had baby  
Is gone," Kikyou started to sing then the drums entered.

"Certain things turn ugly when you think too hard  
And nagging little thoughts change into things you can't turn off  
Everything you think you know baby  
Is wrong

It's all over but the crying  
Fade to black I'm sick of trying  
Took too much and now I'm done  
It's all over but the crying

Do you really think I'm made of stone baby?  
C'mon!  
That we only love the things we own?  
Baby you're wrong

Certain things just happen when you make no plans  
And love can really tear you up and it can break you down  
Everything you think you know baby  
Is wrong

It's all over but the crying  
Fade to black I'm sick of trying  
Took too much and now I'm done  
It's all over but the crying

Baby we're done

If I could I would  
I'd change everything  
Cause I can't forget you though you don't believe me  
Now I can't walk back

I can't leave behind  
Where does it go all the light that we had?

Everything you think you know baby  
Is wrong  
And everything you think you had baby  
Is gone

Baby we're done." Kikyou song while the music faded away.

"She is good," Koga admitted.

"Uh-huh," Sango added.

"She's hot," Miroku awed. Of course, that meant Sango had to hit him on the head

Inuyasha was still staring up at Kikyou as the band looked like it was getting ready to sing another song.

**Flash Back To Inuyasha's 10th grade year...**

"Inuyasha," he heard Kikyou and opened his eyes. Above him was Kikyou's face staring down at him with the blue sky behind her, her ebony hair cascading around her beautiful face.

"What?" he answered.

"You missed Math, again," she scolded as she sat down. Inuyasha sat up and stretched his arms high up. They were on top of the main school building.

"Did I?" Inuyasha murmured innocently.

"At this rate you aren't going to pass," Kikyou nagged.

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders then turned around to face Kikyou, "what do you want?"

"English is next."

"So?"

"Are you going to miss that too?"

"Hm, don't we have that test today?"

"Yep," Kikyou sighed.

"Then... I think... I'll pass." Inuyasha nodded then laid back down.

She sighed again, " you know school's going to end in a month. You have to try and keep your C average if you want to stay here."

"I hate it here. It's full off preppy rich brats."

"You are rich, too."

"Erm, not the point. I don't act like I own the world like most the students here do."

"Most the students here have parents that almost own it." Kikyou laughed.

"Keh, if I get kicked out of here my dad will just in roll me in another damn school. It's not like it matters."

"Doesn't matter..." Kikyou whispered.

"Hm?" Inuyasha sat up and saw Kikyou avoiding to look at him, her precious lips frowning, and her brows lowered.

"What's the matter?"

"It doesn't matter to you that... I'm here?" Kikyou asked timidly.

"Huh?! I didn't mean it like that! I... I uh...."

"I'm just joking." Kikyou assured with a warm smile. "If you want to get kicked out of this schooled and in rolled in an all boys school next year, be my guest," she got up, "I have to go to English now." Kikyou was about to open the door that separated the outside of the roof and the stairs.

"Hey, cuttie," a guy smirked as he walked out of it along with two other guys.

"Excuse me," Kikyou grumbled coldly and was about to walk past them when the guy grabbed her arm.

"Hey, I'm talkn' to ya'," he pulled her close to him. "It's rude not to answer."

"Let go, now," Kikyou ordered.

"Or what?" one of the other guys asked.

"Leave her alone," Inuyasha ordered.

"Hahaha, look there." the other boy said. "It's the half-ass."

The group of boys laughed.

"Your mama was a poor white chick and your dada was a rich Asian man. How pathetic that someone with so much power would marry such a disgrace." The one that was holding Kikyou laughed.

"You'll regret that," Inuyasha growled as he clenched his fists.

"What ya' gonna do, half-ass?" the boy asked.

"Leave him alone, _jack_ass." Kikyou ordered.

"You talking back to me now, too?" the guy asked and shook Kikyou to the side and back.

"Leave us alone!" Kikyou demanded then kneed him right in the groin. The boy let go of Kikyou to grab his junk as he fell to his knees.

"Hey! You little bitch," another one the boys shouted and ran at Kikyou with his fist ready to hit her. Inuyasha ran in the way, grabbed his fist then punched him in the gut. The boy almost passed out from the knock as he fell on his back. The last guy came running at Inuyasha but ended up similar to the others but this time Inuyasha punched him in the face.

"A broken nose?!" the principle shouted as he slammed his hands onto his desk. Inuyasha sat in the chair in front of his desk. "Why do you have to pick so many fights in one year?"

"They started it," Inuyasha answered dully.

"That's not what they say and three out beats one. Now get out of here and make sure to be there for your detentions or else," he ordered.

Inuyasha got up and walked to the door.

"One more time and I'll expel you permanently," he warned.

"Whatever," Inuyasha said as he left the room.

"The only reason you got blamed was those guy's parents donate so much money to the school every year that they can do whatever the hell they want," Kikyou explained as she ran up to him in the hall.

"I don't care."

"I wish they would have punished me with you," Kikyou pouted.

"No, I'm glad they didn't blame you."

"Re-Really?"

"Uh-huh."

"Wanna study for our finals together?"

"Shit, when are they?"

"They start in a week."

"A week? Why start so soon?"

"Ha, for you the right time is the night before."

"That's the perfect time."

"Just come and study with me tonight," Kikyou ordered as she turned around and give him a smile that made his heart flutter in his chest before she turned and walked off.

"Hey!" Inuyasha shouted before Kikyou was too far away. "Hm?" Kikyou turned around to look at him.

"Thanks..." he mumbled.

"For?"

"Uh, de..." he couldn't manger to say the words that where in his head.

"You don't have anything to thank me for. I stick with you because we are friends." He watched as Kikyou walked away to greeted her acquaintance Onigumo.

**End Flash Back...**

That was why she was always there for him that year, always, whenever he needed her. That year he fell in love for the first time…

"You should see my scars. You should see my scars and try to comprehend that which you'll never comprehend." Kikyou finished the song she had been singing and the music stopped shortly after.

Kikyou stopped and let the band switch around a few things before starting the next song. While she was waiting she looked around the club. Bankotsu and Jakotsu were back stage talking about something and there were a lot of people dancing in front of the stage. She looked up and saw half that drinking and having a good time on the second floor then over to the bar.

There she squinted her eyes to try and make out who stood there, she wasn't sure but she thought she recognized someone near there.

"Hey," the guitar guy greeted. "We have a problem with the stereos and a few of the key board keys are jammed. We'll have to switch to the CDs or something while we fix the problem." he whispered into Kikyou's ears.

"Got it," Kikyou answered and walked off stage.

"What's wrong?" Jakotsu asked.

"Some technical difficulties," Kikyou answered. "They said something about switch to the CDs or something."

Bankotsu sighed, "alright, I'll tell the D.J. he'll have to start early tonight."

"What awful luck on your first day of work," Jakotsu said.

"It's fine with me. I got to sing two songs and I enjoyed myself. Besides! I still get paid for the entire time, right?"

"It's not your fault there were technical difficulties." Jakotsu nodded.

"Yep," Kikyou began to walk away. "I'm going to enjoy myself as long as I'm here, see you later." Kikyou waved to Jakotsu as she walked down the stair cases.

"Come on! Let's go dance!" Kagome shouted as she pulled Inuyasha's hand towards the dance floor.

"Snowballs chance in hell!" Inuyasha shouted. He pulled his hand away from Kagome's and crossed his arms.

"What?" Kagome asked.

"I don't dance. I don't care what you say, I don't." Inuyasha declared, not since any high school event Kikyou had asked him to.

"I'll dance with you then," Koga winked.

"Alright," Kagome murmured hoping it would get Inuyasha to come with her.

"Enjoy." Inuyasha waved with annoyance. That wasn't enough to get him to make a huge fool of himself in public.

"What?" Kagome asked deeply shocked.

"Come on." Koga chuckled as he led Kagome to the dance floor.

"Should we go too?" Sango asked.

"Sure." Miroku grinned. They followed Kagome and Koga to the dance floor and quickly became out of sight in the crowd.

"You are OK with letting Kagome dance with Koga?" Ginta asked.

"I ain't dancing no matter what." Inuyasha assured.

"Wow, you must really hate it." Hakkuka said.

"Cherry Rummer, please," Kikyou ordered as she reached the bar.

"Let me pay for you," Hakkuka offered. Kikyou looked at Hakkuka up and down. "Suit yourself." Kikyou said.

"Kikyou?" Inuyasha asked.

"Why are you here?" Kikyou asked dully as she grabbed her cherry rummer. "I don't see Kagome."

"She's on the dance floor."

"Mm, without her boyfriend to dance with?" Kikyou asked she drank half of the glass in one sip. She had gone through a hell of a lot in less than a week, she really needed a drink.

"I don't dance." Inuyasha growled.

"Of course," Kikyou rolled her auburn eyes.

"You know each other?" Hakkuka asked.

"Thanks for the drink." Kikyou winked as she walked away.

"Wha—?" Hakkuka sighed.

"You should have asked for her number before buying her a drink." Ginta said.

"Wait up!" Inuyasha shouted as he ran after Kikyou.

"Leave me be." Kikyou ordered as she squeezed threw the crowd. She held her drink above her head so it wouldn't get spilled.

"Wait! I need to talk to you!" Inuyasha shouted. Inuyasha grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him.

"Don't be so aggressive." Kikyou gripped as she pulled her hand away from his.

"It's about Kaede, Tsubaki and Seno's murder." That caught Kikyou's attention so she lead him to the walls where there was more room to talk.

"What about them?" Kikyou asked.

"Did you get any strange calls lately?"

"What are you talking about?" Kikyou asked then took another drink or her cherry rummer.

"You knew Seno, didn't you?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Don't start with me. Everyone thinks that you did it."

"What?!" Kikyou yelled and almost chocked on the last sip of her drink.

"You knew all three of these people. Tsubaki was threatening to expose your songs as copies, you had romantic issues with Seno," Inuyasha explained. "That makes people think you are very suspicious at the least."

"Who told I had a romance issue with Seno?"

"I shouldn't tell you that."

"I didn't."

"Oh? Many people say that after a while he cheated on you."

"Oh my gosh," Kikyou groaned, "you've been talking to the people at Tomoe's Coffee House, haven't you?"

"Can't say."

"I ended it with Seno before he started to go out with his ex-girlfriend. I knew he still had feelings for him and I…" still had feelings for one of her exes, "just knew it wasn't going to work. I gave him my blessings to go after his ex."

"Those dumb girls say that you yelled at him whenever he started to talk to you, what was that about?"

"That's because he kept annoying me the week before I quiet working there."

"Annoyed you how?"

"He said I was making an idiotic decision to stop working at the coffee house to try and work here. He was just trying to look out for me but I didn't want to hear it at the moment."

"Tomoe said you were very upset when you came to quiet."

"That's none of your business." Kikyou firmly stated.

Inuyasha sighed, "explain the death threat to Tsubaki and copies songs."

"She and I were in a fight. She cursed me and kept annoying me for something I couldn't help so I had a little too much to drink that night and was fed up with her so I said somethings I didn't mean it. All my songs are mine, you can try your best to prove otherwise but you won't."

"I just hadn't gotten around to calling her up and telling her I was sorry. If you knew Tsubaki you'd know she's say stupid shit like that all the time, neither of us were ready to say sorry yet."

"I guess that all makes sense…" if she can somehow prove all of that.

"Goodbye." Kikyou began to walk away.

"Hold on," Inuyasha shouted. Kikyou stopped walking but didn't turn around. "You'll have to come by the police station later and tell this to the others."

"Why?" Kikyou asked and turned around. "Can't you just tell them?"

"No. They need to hear it from your mouth straight."

"I can't come in tomorrow."

"Why?" Inuyasha asked.

"That's not your business."

"What about Wednesday?" Inuyasha asked, though the longer she refused to come in the worse it looked… Kikyou couldn't… could she?

"Fine." Kikyou walked away.

After Inuyasha lingered away from the crowd for quite some time he finally returned to the bar where Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Ginta, and Hakkuka were.

"Where were you?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha walked up to her.

"Around," Inuyasha answered.

Kagome and Sango where the only ones out of the group that weren't drinking alcohol due to their ages, Japan's drinking age is twenty.

"Where's Koga?"

"He said he had something he had to do." Kagome answered.

"Oh," Inuyasha sighed. He hated the club...

Koga walked up to Kikyou, "Hello."

Kikyou looked at him with puzzlement, "Hello?"

"You don't know me but I'm a friend of your sister's and I work with Inuyasha," Koga explained.

"Do you now?" Kikyou asked dully as she took a drink of her new cherry rummer.

"Do you think you could come into the station for some standard questions about your sister and friend's deaths?"

"Inuyasha already told me that all of you think I'm suspicious or something like that. I told him I'd come in on Wednesday for whatever." Kikyou set down her now empty glass, "buh-bye."

"Thank you, very much." Koga grinned and picked up her empty glass.

**A/N: **Thank you for all your reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

_Tuesday, the 25, 9:00 a.m. - At the police station..._

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kagura said as she looked at various pictures and files.

"All these case look identical except for the sloopiness in the more recent once. Besides, we haven't ever released the actual mark to the press. We've had someone check all the papers, the internet, _everywhere_. And all the places have published the right mark but with the arrow pointing in the opposite direction. That was the chief's idea; he said it would be easier to tell from a copycat."

"Just keep looking. There's got to be more difference in these cases." Inuyasha said as he flipped threw some files himself.

"Bingo," Koga grinned as he threw a piece of paper down on Inuyasha's desk.

"What's this?" Inuyasha asked as he picked it up.

"Finger print match for the knife, gun and the lipstick container," Koga gloated.

"Whoa?! Who is it?" Kagura asked.

"K-Kikyou?" Inuyasha stuttered.

"Yep."

"How did you get her finger prints?" Kagura asked.

"I ran into her the other night and took a glass she was using after she was done with it." Koga explained.

"That's illegal." Inuyasha growled.

"Hold your horses," Koga waved. "I asked the man who owned the place, meaning that glass too, if I could take the glass for a criminal investigation and he said it was fine."

"Time to go arrest her, then," Kagura declared as she got up out of her chair and grabbed her gun.

"Are you coming?" Koga asked Inuyasha.

Inuyasha looked at the piece of paper that showed the evidence that it was Kikyou's finger prints over and over. She couldn't have... could she?

"Y-Yeah." He said and got up.

_9:30 a.m. At Kikyou & Suikotsu's Apartment..._

Two loud knocks brought Suikotsu to the door. "Hello?"

"We're the police," Koga said as he flashed his badge. "Is a Mori Kikyou here?"

"Why?" Suikotsu asked.

"Is she or isn't she?" Koga asked.

"What's going on?"

"She's a suspected in a murder case. Now, please, tell us where she is." Kagura answered.

"She's not here."

"When will she be back?"

"I don't know but you've got the wrong person, goodbye." Suikotsu began to close the door but Koga put his foot in the way.

"You wouldn't mind if we looked around, would you?" he asked.

"Yes, I would." Suikotsu said coldly and closed the door all the way.

"We didn't get a warrant to search the place." Kagura stated. "It would be easy to get one, though." [N.A. I don't know the Japanese law perfectly so some things may be incorrect.]

"Come on, let's get one." Koga grunted as he began to walk down the hallway.

"You coming?" Kagura asked.

"Huh? Yeah." Inuyasha was off in his own little world but snapped back to reality and ran after them.

This couldn't be happening.

_Random Coffee Shop - 9:35 a.m. ..._

Kikyou finished off her cup of coffee and was about to leave when her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Kikyou," Suikotsu said.

"Yeah? I was just about to come with you to your appointment."

"The police where just here."

"Why?"

"They said something about you being a suspect in a murder and they wanted to talk to you."

"I told them I'd talk to them tomorrow."

"I don't think they really wanted to talk to you." Suikotsu declared.

"What's that mean?"

"I think they wanted to arrest you."

"Why?"

"I didn't ask. I think it would be best if you didn't come back to the apartment for a while."

"You want me to avoid the police?"

"Uh-huh, do you want to get arrested?"

"No, not really," Kikyou answered. "Where would I go?"

"I don't know... Hm.... Wait! Jakutso's! Go there." Suikotsu suggested.

"Jakutso's?"

"Yeah, I'll call him up and tell him you'll need a place to stay. We're good friends so he'll understand." Suikotsu explained.

"Alright, if you think this is the best thing to do..."

"Yeah, I really do."

"What about your—"

"I'll be fine alone for a while." That was what she was worried about, she loved Suikotsu, he was her dearest friend so what if the person that was after her would go for him? It was for his best interest that she was always there and lived with him. She knew before she even roomed with Suikotsu—after she left Seno and moved in with him—about his 'condition'.

Though, she'd never met the other Suikotsu she knew he once existed. With the proper medication and doses all he suffered from usually was migraines.

Kikyou sighed as she left some money on the table as she walked out of the coffee shop. She knew it right away, Inuyasha had something to do with the whole mess.

_11:00 a.m. Suikotsu's apartment..._

Koga, Inuyasha and Kagura had got a search warrant for Suikotsu and Kikyou's apartment like they were planning on it. They were now, along with other police officers, look around.

"Don't make a mess." Suikotsu ordered as an officer was began to rummage through the cabinets in the kitchen. Suikotsu looked over to Kikyou's room then went in. In there Koga and Inuyasha were looking around.

"Kikyou didn't do anything." Suikotsu stated.

"The court can be the judge of that." Koga said as he moved around some clothes in the closet.

"You aren't going to find anything." Suikotsu declared.

"The warrant said you could supervise this but if you're going to annoy me I'll throw you out myself." Koga threaten.

"You're the guy that's going out with Kikyou's sister, correct?" Suikotsu directed that question at Inuyasha.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he shut a drawer, "nothing."

"Yeah, nothing here," Koga said as he closed the closet door.

"Told you so." Suikotsu said.

"So? Where's Kikyou?" Koga asked.

"I don't know." Shuiktos said.

"If you know where she is and your hiding that information from us you could get yourself into huge trouble." Koga stated.

"I. Don't. Know." Suikotsu said firmly.

"How about when she gets back?" Koga asked.

"Don't know." Suikotsu said dully as he walked out of the room.

"I'm going to go check his room next." Koga said with a smirk as he left the room as well. "You finish up in here."

"Where does he get off bussing me around?" Inuyasha growled. He opened another drawer but slammed it closed as soon as he saw what was in it, Kikyou's underwear. He probably didn't need to go through those. He got on his knees to look at the lower drawers. He opened the bottom one where only boxes where. After looking threw two and only finding old note books and some papers with, what seemed like, lyrics scribbled on it he was doubted anything important would be in the last one.

He tried to open that box but found out it was locked.

"Hm?" Inuyasha took out a skeleton key he had in his pocket then tried to open the box with that. It didn't work to well so he started to look through the drawer for a key to it. After looking threw all it one he started to wonder if the key was even there. Inuyasha slowly placed his hand on the handle that opened the drawer with her underwear in it but didn't open it.

It's not like she was there… or that she'd find out. He was… just doing his job, he assured himself as he opened it. He moved aside various thongs and other undergarments until he found a black key in the very back. Now she wears the sexy stuff... he couldn't help but think as he closed it.

He used the key to open the box and sat down on her bed. He began to remove what was in the box one by one. He took out a picture of Kaede and one of Kikyou with Jakotsu, Suikotsu, and Tsubaki out but stopped when he found a picture of, what looked like a nine or ten year old Kikyou being held up in the air by a man Inuyasha had never seen before.

He flipped the picture over but there was nothing written on the back so he just set the picture down on the bed. He found another picture of the same man and put it with the rest of them.

"This is..." he said aloud to himself as he pulled out a photo that was under it. It was one of him and Kikyou in their last year of high school. She kept this? He was in awe when he pulled out an off white clam shell.

**Flash Back - Inuyasha's 11th grade Year In High School...**

Inuyasha lingered outside the girl's dormitory as he wanted for Kikyou to come out. He brushed the snow that landed on his hair off along with some that was on his coat. It was for too cold to wake up so early and have to go to school. Slowly he began to sway back and forth.

"Hey," Kikyou said as she jumped down the stairs.

"Your late."

"You didn't have to wait for me," she smiled as she zipped up her red jacket. Inuyasha didn't respond as they started to walk to the main school building.

"Burr! I hate when we have to walk through the snow."

"I don't mind," Inuyasha stated. They entered the park area that separated the girl's dormitory from the boys.

"Hey," Kikyou grinned as she ran up to a large tree. It was known as the Tree of Time around the school. No one really knew why it was called that but it just caught on.

"What?" Inuyasha asked as he followed her to the tree.

"I have something for you."

"What?"

"I'm not telling. It's a surprise."

"Is it now?" Inuyasha asked dully.

"You don't want it?" Kikyou pouted.

"No, I want whatever it is. I... I have something I've been meaning to give to you, too."

"Really?" Kikyou asked a little surprised.

"Inuyasha!!" Some guys yelled. Inuyasha looked to his left and saw a small group of boys waving over at him. In his second year of high school he managed to make a few good friends.

"Meet me here after school?" Inuyasha asked as he began to walk over the boys.

"Alright."

"Don't be too late this time!" Inuyasha shouted as he ran over to the group. As he walked away with his friends he looked back at Kikyou and saw Onigumo walking up to her and she walked over to him.

"What's with you and that Onigumo guy?" Inuyasha asked Kikyou as he walked up to the Tree of Time where she was standing.

"Huh?"

"You and that Onigumo guy... your just friends, right?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Are you more?" Inuyasha asked trying to hide the fact he cared. For the past year he had tried to ask her out what felt like a hundred times but still… he was never able to say the words.

"No. I'm not really friends with him... He's just a guy I talk to in History, you know?"

"Oh, I was just wondering..."

"Because of that rumor?"

"What rumor?" He asked even though, he knew what she was talking about.

"The one about how he and I are going out."

"Never heard of it." Inuyasha lied.

"Uh-huh," Kikyou sighed.

"Who started it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Don't know." Kikyou answered.

"What was it that you wanted to give to me?"

"Oh, right." Kikyou pulled out a purple pray bead necklace from her pocket.

"What's that?"

"It's a Nenju [rosary]. There's a legend that says it has some magical powers. I think that's a lie though I still thought it was cool."

"Where did you get them?" Inuyasha asked looking at the disappointing at the gift.

"My father gave them to me when I was little, before the accident. I thought they would look better on you than me." She clearly noticed that Inuyasha didn't like the gift.

"Your... dead... father?"

"Mm-hm," Kikyou nodded.

"Why are you giving them to me then?"

"Like I said, I thought they would look better on you then me. If you don't want them, just say so."

"No, I love it." Inuyasha said with a warm smile. He knew how much she loved her father so he could only imagine how much something like that would mean to her. "Thank you."

After a moment she decided he was serious and smiled to him, "want to go get something to eat in town?" Kikyou asked then began to walk away.

"Uh, wait," Inuyasha grabbed her hand before she got to fair away.

"Mm?" Kikyou turned around.

"I have something for you, too. Remember?"

"Oh! I almost forgot."

"Here," Inuyasha put the off white shell, the one he was looking at in the box, into her hand.

"What's this?" she asked as she opened it up. Inside the clam was a beautiful red lipstick type substance.

"It's not like I'll ever use that. I thought I should give it to you, even though I don't think I've ever seen you wear make-up."

"I don't, normally… but I love it, thank you." Kikyou said with a fake smile. "Um, why do you have lipstick stuff anyway?"

"It was something my mother left to me. I have no idea but she did."

"Your mother?" Kikyou asked shocked.

"Uh-huh." Inuyasha answered.

"Thank you." Kikyou warmed up to it automatically, funny how alike their minds were.

"It seems we are both giving our parents stuff away today, huh?" Inuyasha asked. Kikyou laughed then grabbed his hand. "Let's go get something to eat." Kikyou said. Inuyasha was a little taken by her action but didn't pull his hand away as they walk hand in hand for the first time.

He fell in love with her at the end of their first year… now he'd finally get the courage to ask her out to become his first girlfriend, first lover, first heartbreak.

**End Flash Back...**

She kept it... he thought to himself as he closed his hand around the clam.

"Did you find anything?" Kagura asked as she walked into the room.

"Nothing important," Inuyasha answered.

"What are these?" Kagura asked and picked up the photos on the bed.

"Just old photos."

"Isn't this you?" Kagura asked and pointed at the one with him and Kikyou in it.

"Uh...... We went to high school together. I don't even remember taking that."

"So you go way back, huh?" Kagura asked with a smug look on her face. "Should you really be working the case where she's the prime suspect?"

"I won't let the past get in my way. The past is nothing more the cheap memories anyway." Inuyasha said as he walked out of the room. "Find anything?" Inuyasha asked Koga as he walked by him.

Koga stopped walking and turned to face Inuyasha, "not a damn thing."

"Same here," Inuyasha nodded as he slipped the calm into his pocket.

"Why don't we go look for that girl and leave these guys to finish up the search?" Koga asked.

"Sounds good. I'll get Kagura."

_Else Where - 12:00 a.m._

"Mmmm!!" Kagome tried to scream as she wiggled to break free from the restrains that were tied around her wrists and to a metal chair. "MMMMM!!!" Kagome shock her head side to side trying to get the gag out of her mouth.

"Calm down," a man said. Kagome watched with blood shot eyes as the man walked, in the darkness, to a table and turned on a small lap that was on it. On the table were various knives, screw drivers, hammers, and many other objects sitting in blood water. He pulled out a knife and walked over to Kagome.

"MMM!!" she shook her head side to side as the man walked closer she tried even hard to break free but failed. The man used the knife to cut off a necklace around her neck. A pinkish-purplish jewel dropped into his hand with a silver chain attached to it. Tears ran down Kagome's checks as the man moved the knife in front of her face then walk away.

He dropped the knife back into the bloody water and picked up a recorder and a phone. He dialed a number then walked over to Kagome. He pressed the on button and put the phone to Kagome's face.

"MMMM!" Kagome screamed.

"It's your sister," he said as he removed the gag from her mouth.

"Kikyou!! Help!!" she screamed as more tears ran down her face. "Please!!" she pled. "Please!! Please let me go!" Kagome asked.

"Talk to your sister." the man whispered.

"Kikyou!!! Kikyou there's a man here! He wants to kill me!! Please!! Please!! Help me!! Let me go!! I haven't even seen your face!!" Kagome shouted. He wore a black-ski mask to hide his face. "Please let me go!!" Kagome shouted.

The man pressed 'end' on the phone and 'stop' on the recorder then walked over to the table. He pressed play on the recorder "Kikyou!! Help!!" Kagome's voice screamed. He rewound it then pressed play again. "Kikyou!!" he did this over and over. "Kikyou!! Kikyou!! Kikyou!! Kikyou!!" Kagome's voice screamed over and over.

He stopped and put both the phone and the recorder down.

"Please!! Please let me go." Kagome pleaded. The man fast-forwarded the recorder.

"I'll extract your heart." the man said.

"NOO!! Please!!"

Just like she's done to me," the man pressed record as he picked up a large knife and walked over to Kagome.

"Please!! Please!! NO!!! Please!!!" Kagome shouted over and over. He raised the knife high in the air and thrust it down.

Kagome screamed in pain.

_Jakotsu's 8:00 p.m._

"That was Suikotsu," Jakotsu said as he hung up his phone.

"Oh?" Kikyou asked. She was sitting on his couch watching TV.

"He said the police have been there recently to search the house." Jakotsu explained.

"What?!" Kikyou stood up.

"That's what he said. I wonder what they have on you that makes them think that you did it."

"I knew all three of the people. They think I had a fight with two of them. Besides, a guy with a grudge against me is working the case." Kikyou stated as she sat down on the couch again.

"A grudge?"

"We went to high school together and something happened and I think he still holds a grudge about it."

"Who is it?"

She sighed, " I doubt you know. His name is Inoue Inuyasha."

"Huh? That young detective that's always in the papers for solving cases?!"

"That's him."

"Oww!! He's so cute!!" Jakotsu shouted.

"That's the type of guy you like, huh?" Kikyou laughed.

"He's so adorable on TV! You know him?!"

"I just said that."

"Mm, so lucky."

"I'd love to carry on this conversation but I have to go out." Jakotsu stated.

"See you later!" Kikyou yelled as Jakotsu walked out the door.

She didn't kill them… if the police won't find out who really did it then she would. That's what she decided when she got up and walked over to the front door but before she got far before the phone rang.

Her heart stopped, she looked over at the phone and debated whether to answer or not. It was Jakotsu's phone, after all, so… it couldn't be him… right? She'd just let the answering machine get it. Then she reached out for the door knob.

"Hello! You're lucky enough to reach Jakotsu's voice mail! Please leave your message and I'll try to get back to ASAP."

Kikyou opened the door.

"Kikyou!!" Kagome cried.

"Huh?" Kikyou looked back at the phone.

"Kikyou!! Kikyou there's a man here! He wants to kill me!! Please!! Please!! Help me!!" Kagome cried.

"Kagome?" Kikyou said as she slammed to door shut and ran to the phone.

"Kagome!? What's going on?" Kikyou asked as she answered the phone.

"Kikyou!! Help!!"

"Just tell me where you are!"

"Please!! Please let me go!"

"Kagome? Tell me where you are!!" Kikyou pulled the phone away from her ears as Kagome screamed in pain.

"Kagome!!" Kikyou shouted, tears swelling in her eyes.

"Goodbye, beloved." The same man as before said and hung up.

"Damn you!" Kikyou shouted. She hung up the phone and pressed re-dial.

"Hello, you've reached a number that cannot be contacted. Please hang up and try or check if you have dialed the correct number. Thank you."

"Damn," Kikyou choked and slammed the phone down. She ran to the door then stopped. She slowly looked back at the phone. Could it work?


	6. Chapter 6

_Alleyway - 10:00 p.m._

Inuyasha slowly walked down the alleyway not wanting to believe what he was told was true.

"Inuyasha, you don't have to." Kagura said.

Inuyasha kneeled down to a body with a white sheet over it and slowly pulled the sheet away. He looked away in pain after seeing Kagome's face with dirt and blood mixed on it.

"Inuyasha..." Kagura murmured.

"Does she... have the mark?" Inuyasha asked trying to sound as normal as he can.

"Yes."

"How did she die?" Inuyasha asked as he brushed some of her hair off her face.

"Inuyasha..." Kagura whispered.

"Tell me." Inuyasha ordered.

"Her heart... was extracted."

"What?!"

"That's what happened... I know... It's so awful. I'm so very sorry."

No, he was the one that was sorry, he was working too much… why hadn't he relieved that Kagome was in danger? She was Kikyou's other sister! He was so stupid, so, so, stupid. Goddamn him, how could he miss that?

"What's this?" Inuyasha asked as he pulled on the Nenju necklace that was around her neck. His eyes widened.

"Isn't it her necklace?"

"Has Koga tracked down Kikyou yet?" Inuyasha asked harshly.

"No... Why?" Kagura asked.

"These murders had to be her." Inuyasha growled before he ran out of the alley. He gave her the necklace back! How could she do that to Kagome?! Her own blood! Was she that insane?

_Suikotsu's Apartment - 10:45 p.m._

Inuyasha slammed his fists against the door over and over until Suikotsu finally answered.

"Where is Kikyou?" Inuyasha asked as he grabbed Suikotsu's shirt collar.

"I don't know," Suikotsu answered and pushed Inuyasha away from him.

"Yeah, right, sure you don't. Tell me now!"

"Even _if_ I did know, then why would I tell you?"

"Her only other sister was just found murdered!"

"Really?"

"Yes! Now tell me where she is!"

"I don't know."

"You do."

"No, I don't. I'm sorry about her sister's death but I don't know where she is."

"Her name was Kagome."

"I'm sorry about Kagome's death. But I still don't know where she is." Suikotsu declared as he followed his arms, Inuyasha's eyes moved to his shirt.

"What's that?" Inuyasha nodded.

Suikotsu glanced to his lightly red splattered sleeve, "cut myself while shaving."

"I don't see any cuts on your face."

"Who said it was my face?"

Inuyasha flinched then looked away, "whatever. If I find out you were lying you'll regret it." Inuyasha threatened as he walked away.

Time to call her, Suikotsu nodded as he closed the door.

Where the hell had Kikyou gone? Inuyasha now had a mission, he was going to be the one to take her in, arrest her, and see her get convicted… or worse.

_Club Midnight - 11:00 p.m._

Inuyasha couldn't think of anywhere she could be so he went to the one place he knew she went to. Lady luck must have been on his side that night because she was on stage when he got there.

She had just ripped the heart out of her sister and she was singing? Heartless bitch.

The guitar and drummer began to play at the same time.

"Turn her over,  
A candle is lit I see through her.  
Blow it out and save all her ashes for me.

"Curse me  
sold her the poison that runs its course through  
her pale white skin with strawberry gashes all over - all over

"Watch me fault her.  
You're living like a disaster  
She said, kill me faster with strawberry gashes all over.

"Called her over and asked her if she was improving  
She said, feels fine it's wonderful - wonderful here.

"Hex her  
I dreamt of a devil that knew her  
pale white skin with strawberry gashes all over, all over." She paused only for a moment.

"Watch me fault her.  
You're living like a disaster.  
She said  
kill me faster with strawberry gashes all over, all over." she stopped as the drums and gaiter only played.

"I lay quiet waiting for her voice to say  
Some things you lose and some things you just give away  
Scold me  
Failed her

"If only I'd held on tighter  
To her pale white skin  
That twisted and withered away from me  
Away from me.

"Watch me lose her,  
It's almost like losing myself.  
Give her my soul and let them take somebody else.  
Get away from!

"Watch me fault her  
You're living like a disaster.  
She said,  
Kill me faster with  
Strawberry gashes all over, all over ME."

[Strawberry Gashes, Jack off Jill]

Everything stopped.

She had to be the one, all the evidence led to her and the necklace? Why had she done it all?

"She's a beautiful one, isn't she?" a guy near Inuyasha asked. Inuyasha grunted his reply, 'bitch'

"In my happy home I barely breathe.  
In my lovers arms I find relief  
And there's a sky that's changing  
And a bird that sings.

"I never once in my wayward life was heading to run out." Kikyou sung with only the guitar playing lightly then both the keyboard and drums entered.

"In my lovers arms I wait for morning.  
I beg my god to speak and tear me apart.  
I'd lay down my body  
I'd lay down my arms.

"I never once in my sweet short life meant anybody harm.  
In my happy home I read the signs.  
In my lovers arms I move in time.

"There's no more crying and there's no more lies.  
I never once in my sweet short life was waiting for desire.  
And there's no more crying and there's no more pain.  
I never thought for one second I'd have nothing left but shame.

"In my happy home I barely breathe.  
I never once in my wayward life was heading to run out." Kikyou finished and looked out at the crowd then at the ground as she let out a large sigh. She walked off the stage and the audience clapped.

Normally she would be happy to hear the claps but right now she couldn't think of anything but finding the man that killed her sisters and friends.

"You did great." Bankotsu praised.

"Uh-huh," Kikyou murmured. Why didn't the man just attack her? She'd much rather be dead herself instead of both her sister.

She went out to perform in front of the large crowd for two reasons.

"Kikyou," Inuyasha scolded as he now stood in front of her. And that was one of them.

"You're here."

"You are coming with me and you are under arrest," Inuyasha ordered as he grabbed her arm.

"I'm glad." she finished her sentence. She didn't want to go to the police station but she wanted to find Inuyasha. After seeing that her sister's body was found she knew he would come looking for her. Another reason was she was hopping the man that was doing all this would attack her if she went out in public.

She didn't think it would happen but it was her only idea.

"What the hell's wrong with you?!"

"You think I did it, don't you?"

"Of course! Who else has that necklace?!"

"Necklace?"

"Don't give me that bullshit! The Nenju!"

"The Nenju? What about it?"

"It was on Kagome's neck!! Stop pretending you don't know!!"

"It was?!"

"Don't play dumb with me!!"

"I didn't do it!"

"We'll see what the cops down at the station have to say about that." Inuyasha said as he began to pull her threw the large crowd.

"I can prove it!" Kikyou shouted.

"_How_?"

_Jakutso's Apartment - 11:30 p.m. ..._

"Kikyou! Kikyou there's a man here! He wants to kill me!! Please!! Please!! Help me!!!" Kagome pleaded. The message then ended. Kikyou and Inuyasha stood in front of Jakotsu's phone in his apartment.

"How is this proving you didn't do it?!"

"The calls where real!"

"Your fingerprints are at every crime scene! Most likely at Kagome's too! The Nenju was on Kagome's neck! The necklace I gave _back_ to you! You had a connection to every one of them."

"Yes! I did! But does that mean I killed them?! No! Besides! I threw the Nenju in a river _years_ ago!"

"There's no reason for me to believe you."

"Why would I kill Kaede?! My most adored family member?! Why would I take away the only family member that still loves me's life?!"

"Uh... You tell me."

"I didn't do it."

"Why were your finger prints on all the murder weapons found? Why were your finger prints on the lipstick that was used to mark Kaede? Why was the Nenju on Kagome? Huh?!"

"I don't know!!"

"I'm going to arrest you now."

"Please! Inuyasha!"

"You are the only person that I know that can help me find this crazy man. We need to find the real killer that got Kagome, Kaede, Seno, and Tsubaki."

"I think you did it. All the evidence leads to you."

"Then the evidence is wrong!"

"Fine! Who the hell would want to do this and then frame you?!"

"I don't know..."

"You're screwed then."

"Why would I want to kill Kaede?"

"Why would I copy this Archer guy's actions?"

"To make it look like he did it. I don't know why you killed any of them."

"I didn't kill them!"

"The Nenju was on Kagome! Why would it be there if it wasn't you?!"

"Why the hell would I put that on her?! Why would I direct your attention to me?! What kind of moron would do that?!"

Inuyasha stop and thought that over… He had never thought of that before.

"I swear on my father's grave I threw that damn thing into the very river he died in the night after you gave it back to me."

"You're father's grave, huh?"

"Yes."

"Why would I be so dumb to leave all those things at the crime scene? What would posses me to put the Nenju on Kagome? Or kill Kaede? Or claim to have the real killer call me? Why the hell would I do that?"

"Fine, if you didn't do it... then who did?" It did narrow the search down… who could set her up? Who could erase any trace of the phone calls to her apartment? Even from the phone company record?

"I don't know! That's what I need your help figuring out." Kikyou pled as she grabbed his left arm. "Please, help me find my sisters' and friends' killer." Inuyasha looked at her hands on his arm and then to her. "Please help me find the man that killed Kagome."

Inuyasha looked at the ground then up at Kikyou. "The police will be looking for you everywhere now. I'm sure they'll search here."

"I see." Kikyou murmured as she pulled her arms away from. She crossed her arms as she stared at the ground.

"Did Suikotsu know you were here?" Inuyasha asked.

"No." Kikyou lied.

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not."

"After Kagome's killing they look at every person's house you know plus some of the local hotels."

"Why would they go so far?"

"I'm sure a lot of people think you are the real Archer, or, my chief will want to stop you before you kill another."

"Then where should I go?" Kikyou asked.

Inuyasha thought it over for a minute, "they won't check my place."

"Your... place?"

"Look, I'm giving you leeway until Saturday. If we find nothing by then I'm arresting you and doing all I can to throw you in jail."

"Fair enough."

"Come on," Inuyasha ordered as he walked to the front door.

_Inuyasha's Apartment - 11:55 p.m._

Inuyasha threw a pillow and blanket at Kikyou's head as she sat on the couch.

"Hey." Kikyou said.

"You can sleep on the couch."

"Isn't it the gentlemen's way to allow the woman the bed and you to sleep on the couch?"

"I'm no gentlemen." And she might be the real killer, he'd be sleeping with his bedroom door locked and a gun under his pillow for sure.

"True." Kikyou mumbled to herself.

"You claim the—so called—real killer called Jakotsu's house, right?" Inuyasha asked as he sat down in the recliner near the couch.

"Yes."

"Who knew you were staying at Jakotsu's?"

"Uh…" Kikyou looked at the ground. "Just Jakotsu."

"No one else?" Inuyasha asked.

"No one else that I know of…"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Suikotsu could never do a thing like that, split personality or not…

"OK, do you have any enemies of any kind?"

"None that I can think of."

"Great, that's real helpful information." Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"Wait, that killer said 'Goodbye, beloved' this time."

"Beloved?" Inuyasha repeated.

"Yes."

"Is there any guy you've turned down recently that took it hard?"

"Hm…" Kikyou started to think over all the drunks and others that she had turned down over past but couldn't think of anyone. "No one recently."

"How about in the past?"

Kikyou looked up at Inuyasha, "how far back?"

"As far as you can remember, anything would help at this time."

"You know... that one."

"What?"

"That time in high school…" Kikyou whispered. Inuyasha leaned back in the chair and reminisced for a moment.

"Could it be..." Inuyasha said to no one in particular. Both Kikyou and Inuyasha's attention was then directed at the door as a key began to unlock it. "Oh, shit." Inuyasha mumbled. He stood up and grabbed Kikyou's arm as quickly as possible. "Come on." Inuyasha ordered and pulled Kikyou to his room as fast as he could.

"What's wrong?" Kikyou asked as Inuyasha closed his door.

"How the hell did I forget about Miroku?" he asked himself.

"Miroku?" Kikyou asked.

"My roommate…"

"Why can't he see me?"

"It would be best if only I knew that you were here."

"How am I going to stay here without your roommate knowing?"

"I don't know."

"Should we just find me a different place to stay?"

"Not tonight."

"You can't sleep on the couch or Miroku will find out your here."

"So you're going to have to sleep on the couch." Kikyou grinned happily.

"No, then he'll think something's wrong. You'll just have to sleep on the ground." Inuyasha said with a smirk.

"You _are_ joking, right?"

"No."

"That's just cruel!" Kikyou protested.

"Don't care."

"Can I call Suikotsu and tell him I'm alright?"

"Do you have caller ID?"

"Yes."

"Then no."

"Why?"

"He can't know your here."

"He can keep a secret."

"No, means no."

"Damn you." Inuyasha took a pillow off his bed and the top cover off and threw them on the ground. "There you go. I've had a long day so I'm going to sleep. That means, shut up." Inuyasha said as he lied down under the sheets.

Inuyasha was as charming as ever, Kikyou thought to herself as she made a place to sleep on the ground. It took them forever to actually fall asleep… who knew about the Nenju?

**Flash Back - End of Kikyou's 12th Grade Year...**

"I don't want your damn shit." Inuyasha growled as he pushed the Nenju into Kikyou's hands.

"Screw you!" Kikyou shouted. Inuyasha glared at her then walked away.

That bastard, she clenched her teeth as she tightened her grip on the Nenju. She ran off the school grounds as fast as she could. All the way along the road and through the woods into the town. Their prestigious High School was pretty far away from normal civilization. Most schools that were like this weren't co-ed but theirs was one of the few that were.

It began to rain down upon Kikyou as she walked under the small shelter where she could wait for the bus. She sat down and stared at the Nenju until the bus came by and she got on. After she stayed on it for most of the stops until she finally got off near a bridge. Kikyou ran onto it and to the fences. It was still raining while Kikyou was standing at the bridge.

She hung her hand with the Nenju over the raging river under her.

"Damn you, Inuyasha," she chocked to herself as se let the Nenju go. They fell straight down into the river that had taken her father from her… the one his car crashed into.

She had given Inuyasha everything. Her love, her friendship, her first kiss, and her virginity yet... how could he do this to her?

"Kikyou?"A familiar voice whispered.

She looked to her left and saw Onigumo standing there with an umbrella.

"Hello." Kikyou greeted weakly.

"Have you been crying?" He asked as he walked up to her. "Huh?" He touched her face and realized she had. She didn't even notice the tears mixed with the rain.

"What happened?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I was just in town and was walking the bus stop."

"I see.... Onigumo.... Inuyasha he...

"Please, call me by my first name."

"You mean... Naraku?"

"Yes, that would be it." Onigumo [Naraku] nodded.

"OK…?"

"What did Inuyasha do to you?" Naraku asked as he now stood so the umbrella blocked the rain from falling onto Kikyou.

"I heard he'd been fooling around with other women.... Is that true?" Naraku asked.

"You heard that too? It turns out... that rumor is true."

"I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do for you, just say the word."

"Thank you." Kikyou said with a small, sad, smile. Kikyou noticed Naraku looking at her necklace. It was a pinkish-purplish jewel on a silver chain.

**End Flash Back...**

Kikyou opened her eyes and rolled over. What would have happened if those things never happened? Something in her pocket made it uncomfortable for her to lay on her side so she sat up.

How could she forget? Kikyou pulled out her cell from her pocket. Sometimes in such distress she could be such a moron. She stood up and looked over at Inuyasha. He seemed to be asleep so she went to find the bathroom. After she did she turned on her phone and saw she had two missed calls.

She put the phone up to her ear and listened to the first one. It was Suikotsu asking for her to call him back ASAP because he was worried about her. The second one was a Dr. Keindo.

"Kikyou, it's Dr. Keindo. This is regarding Suikotsu. Please call me back when you get this message."

She prayed nothing was wrong as she dialed Suikotsu's and her home number.

"Hello! This is Kikyou and Suikotsu's home sorry neither of us are here to answer your message. Please press one now if you want to leave a message for me." Kikyou said. "And press two if you want a leave a message for me." Suikotsu said. Kikyou pressed two and waited for the beep.

"Suikotsu," Kikyou whispered, "it's Kikyou. I really want to know if you're OK. I got a call for Dr. Keindo and I'm kinda worried about you. Please call me back as—" the phone answered.

"Kikyou?!" Suikotsu shouted.

"Are you OK?"

"Why are you whispering?"

"I'm at Inuyasha's and I'm not supposed to call you."

"Inuyasha's?! Why?!"

"Calm down. He's going to help me not arrest me."

"Are you OK?"

"I'm fine, for now. You?"

"I'm fine."

"But Dr. Keindo called me... Do you know why he would do that?" Kikyou asked.

"Uh, he called you?"

"Yeah…" Kikyou answered.

"Just ignore it. It's nothing important."

"I'm going to call him back in the morning."

"No! It's not worth while, I promise."

"Suikotsu?" Kikyou asked surprised at his level or harshness in his tone.

"How long will you be staying at Inuyasha's?"

"I don't know."

"Uh... Kikyou..... Hm..." Suikotsu mumbled.

"Yes?"

"Well... How to say this? Are... Um..." the phone was taken away from Kikyou and turned off.

"Hey!" Kikyou shouted and turned around to see Inuyasha standing there.

"Didn't I tell you **not** to call him?" Inuyasha asked firmly.

"I... I wanted to know if he was alright. Besides! You don't have a right to tell me what I can and can't do."

"As long as you want me to help you and not arrest you, I can."

"He's your boyfriend, right?" Inuyasha asked as he shut the door to his room.

"Suikotsu?"

"Yep," Inuyasha answered as he walked back to his bed.

"No. We are just good friends and roommates."

"Is it against the law for a girl and a guy to just be good friends?"

"No." Inuyasha answered now lying down in his bed.

"You act like you two are going out."

"How so?"

"You worry about him and want to call him all the time."

"Not all the time. I just asked to call him once. I do worry about him but there _is_ a manic out there that's killed two friends of mine and my sisters."

"Have you ever wanted to be more than _just_ friends with him?"

"That's none of your business." Kikyou said as she laid back down in the bed she made for herself.

"So it's a yes, then." Inuyasha mumbled.

"No! I didn't say that." Kikyou protested.

"But it is."

"Leave me alone."

"That's what I thought." Inuyasha declared as he rolled over to face the side of the room Kikyou wasn't on.

"As least I don't date my ex's sister." Kikyou whispered to herself.

"I didn't know that she was your sister! Now isn't the time to talk badly about her anyway!"

"I'm not talking badly about her. I'm talking badly about you."

"You know what, I'm trying to help you and you are being a bitch." Inuyasha said and sat up to look over at her.

"Oh, yeah?" Kikyou asked dully and did the same to look at him.

Something clicked in Inuyasha's head and he pulled out the shell from his pocket.

"Where did you get that?!" Kikyou asked. She kneeled on the bed and snatched it away from Inuyasha.

"Your room, of course."

"What the hell were you doing in my room?"

"We got a search warrant for you whole apartment and look through the whole place. I found that box and had to open it, it was my job."

"How did you open the box?" Kikyou asked with narrow eyes glaring at Inuyasha.

"With a skeleton key," Inuyasha lied.

"Really?"

"Yeah, why?" Inuyasha asked already knowing why she was giving him such a cold look.

"So you thought it was OK to steal this?"

"I didn't steal it. I was the one that gave it to you in the first place."

"That's right. You gave it to **me** making it **mine.**"

"Why do you still have it?"

"I just... Didn't see a reason to throw it away," Kikyou murmured as she opened it up. "Don't think I kept it because of you."

"Oh?"

"I kept it out of respect for your late mother."

"You never met her."

"So? Do you want it back?" "

Uh, no. What am I going to do with lipstick anyway?"

Kikyou put it in her pocket, she was about to return to her bed when she stopped.

"Hey, Inuyasha..."

"Huh?"

"What do you think would have happened... to us... if those things never happened?"

"I... I never thought about it."

"I see. Never mind then." Kikyou said as she returned to her spot on the floor.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! It great. By the way, almost all the songs expect for the one by Jack off Jill is by Garbage. **


	7. Chapter 7

_Wednesday, 26, 1:00 p.m. Inuyasha's..._

Kikyou sat in her bed like area on the ground looking around Inuyasha's room. It took her a moment for the fug of sleep to wear off so that she could figure out where she was. The memories of the night before returned to her as she fully awakened. She blinked the sleep from her eyes as she adjusted to the light, it was already one?

After she washed up she walked about the room examining things here and there until she found a note taped to the door, it read in Inuyasha's messing handwriting: 'Kikyou, I work until 5:00 p.m. Miroku will be at work tell 6:00 p.m. Don't leave or _**call**_ anyone! Yes, that includes Suikotsu. I've taken your cell with me. Bye.'

She rolled her eyes as she dropped the note and reached out to grab the knob but stopped herself, instead she sat down on his bed and picked up his phone.

_1:20 p.m. Police Station_

"Hello?" Inuyasha replied as he answered his line.

"Hey."

"What are you doing calling here?" Inuyasha whispered in between clenched teeth, "this is probably the dumbest thing you've done yet."

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"What? Make it quick."

"Well," Kikyou dragged out just to irk him, "what do I do now that you've banished me to your apartment?"

"Wait until I get home," he grumbled as he watched Kagura leave the chief's office with Koga, "I need to go."

"Wait! Inuyasha, promise me you'll call me if something happens to someone…"

"Fine, I will, and I'll also kill you if you go out and kill someone day."

"Jackass," was the last thing he heard before his phone was slammed something. He really hoped she hadn't broken it.

"Hey," Kagura greeted as she sat down, "no luck on Mori Kikyou. It's looking pretty damn bad for her."

"Mmhm, the innocent don't run," Koga declared.

"True," Inuyasha murmured.

"The chief knows your intimate connection to the case… he…" Kagura pressed her lips together, "regrettably, thinks you should…"

"I should what?" Inuyasha snapped.

Kagura and Koga exchanged a look, "should withdraw yourself from it… you girlfriend, her sister, the main suspect if your ex-girlfriend…"

"No! I've work harder on this case than anybody else! I'm not going to just give up!"

"I'm sorry," Kagura shrugged as she sat down across from him at her desk, "I really am."

"I… I am, too," Koga reluctantly said, Inuyasha glared at him but gave up, the man looked sincere, "I'm so sorry… about Kagome."

"Me too," Inuyasha murmured, "I'm going to leave then. I can't stay here and do nothing."

"What are you doing?"

"Taking this with me," Inuyasha shrugged as he slid the folder into his jacket, "I can't officially work on the case but there's no way in hell you can stop me from working on it unofficially."

"I'll call and update you if we get anything," Koga offered.

"Thanks."

_1:20 p.m. Inuyasha's Apartment_

"Boring," Kikyou mumbled to herself as she wondered around his room looking about everywhere. He had been in her room doing the same not too long ago and she didn't care what he said, she _knew_ he found the key in her underwear drawer. Jerk.

There was nothing interesting in his closet, nothing in the drawers, and nothing on the counter tops. "Bed," she nodded as she leaned over the edge of his bed and pulled the covers up, to her luck there was a box in the middle back of the bed. She had to get on the ground and crawl under it some to be able to grab it.

She recognized the box…

_**Flashback Start of 12**__**th**__** Grade…**_

"Kikyou," Inuyasha called as he walked into their classroom, "I can't believe you thought this was a good idea."

"What? It gets a credit out of the way," Kikyou smiled as she began to work on her art project, "you didn't have to take it with me."

"Yeah but…" he wanted to, he sat down next to her just watching what she did.

"You come in late and you aren't going to even going to do anything?"

"Nah, it's the second day of class, who cares?"

"Uh-huh," Kikyou shook her head, "come on, do something other than stare at me."

"I'd much rather stare at my girlfriend than do any form of work," he smiled when she gave him a weak attempt at a glare, "what?"

"You are so strange, please stop, you're going to embarrass me if you keep saying things like that."

"Bull, when did you start caring what others thought?"

"Who said anything about others?" She couldn't stop smiling though, last year he had finally built up enough courage to ask her out on a date and it just took off from there. They've been together ever since, the summer apart was sort of difficult, her family lived in their Kyoto home in the summer while he lived Tokyo.

Kikyou was able to get away a few times to go spend the weekend with him, while his dad was away on business. She always told them she was visiting Tsubaki.

"Look," Kikyou gleamed once they got out of class, she had nagged him enough that he started to work on a project but he had not gotten done, "you can have it."

"It's a box," Inuyasha observed as he took it.

"I know, but it's pretty box," she laughed, she had decorated it, "keep good memories in it, OK?"

"Alright," he murmured before his golden gaze lied on her neck, "where'd you get the necklace?"

"This?" Kikyou asked as she held the little pink-purple jewel in her hand, "it's a family thing. I think it's pretty, don't you?"

"On you."

She smiled, "I think I'm going to give it to my sister, for her sweet sixteen. She has always had an eye for it. It's a shard of a famous jewel called the shikon no tama."

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh," she smiled as she stopped him by grabbing the necklace that she had given him—he almost always wore it—and kissed him wearing some of the lipstick that he had given her, "I have to go to English."

"Have fun with that."

"You are supposed to be taking that course, too."

"Japanese is enough for me."

**End Flashback**

She shook the thought from her mind as she open the box and began to look with it. There was a newspaper article about the closing of their high school. A few more paper clips of his first cases being closed, "narcissist."

At the bottom she found… pictures. Pictures of them, together, all over the place; at the tree of ages, the roof top, their dances, in their dorm rooms, at the river, in town, in Tokyo, and anywhere they've gone. She had gone through quiet the photographer phase and she… was sure she threw all these pictures away after they broke up. Did he… go and find them in the trash?

"Never thought about what if my ass," Kikyou mumbled as she went through each picture slowly, was it normal to be so attached to someone she dated while in high school? Shouldn't she be over it?

"What are you doing?!" Inuyasha shouted as he opened his door, "give me—!"

"You lying jerk!" Kikyou countered as she pulled some of the pictures out of his reach, "how did you get these? I threw them away!"

"I haven't opened that box in years," Inuyasha growled as he grabbed what she left on the bed and put everything back in it, "you can keep those, I don't care."

"Years?" Kikyou snickered, "one of those articles came from four months ago."

He cringed when she called him on his lie, "doesn't mean I look at that stuff."

"Whatever, liar," she threw the pictures in his face. "What are you doing back early?"

"Kagome was my girlfriend, Kaede was my girlfriend's little sister, and you are my ex-girlfriend. I've been taking off the case," Inuyasha explained as he picked up the pictures and put them in the box before he shoved it under his bed again.

"What help are you now?! You can't even use the fancy things that a detective could."

"I still have my badge and gun, I'm not suspended, and I have this," he dropped the file on the Archer down, "I don't know what's going on at all. It may be the Archer or not but why would his last five kills suddenly be connected to you? Look threw his list and see if you know any of the others."

"OK," Kikyou nodded as she picked up the file but right away she threw it to the ground, "oh my god."

"The pictures are graphic," he warned a bit late as he picked up the files, "I'll just give you the list of names."

"Please," she nodded.

Was she just acting for him? He couldn't tell, he surely wasn't about to rule her out as a suspect yet just because she cringed at some pictures.

_6:00 p.m. Inuyasha's Apartment_

"I don't know any of them," Kikyou kept up as she rummaged around his kitchen, "I really don't. Besides! I have an alibi for four of them."

"That just means that you aren't the Archer not that you didn't kill the last five people."

"Why would I kill my sisters?" Kikyou snapped as she turned around and slammed her hands on the counter, "huh?"

"I was dating Kagome."

"You know what? You. Are. _Not_. Worth. Killing. Over!"

He just rolled his eyes, "tell me more about the alibi."

"For the first few kills, I was in New Zealand."

"Why?"

"Why should I explain myself to _you_?"

"Because I'm the one that's hiding you from the police," Inuyasha ranted back with just as much venom as she showed him.

"Someone… invited me," Kikyou started with a shrug, "so?"

"Who?"

"It's not important."

"It is!" He slapped his hands down, "we have nothing! You are going to jail if they get you into the police station, do you understand?"

She sighed and nodded as she pressed her lips together and looked away, "Akimoto Akito..."

"What?" He leaned closer; she said it far too quiet for even his prestige hearing.

"Akimoto… Akito…"

"Akito?" Inuyasha, "_Akito_? The guy that's dad _owned_ our high school?"

She shrugged.

"Why would you go to New Zealand with that guy?"

She rolled her eyes, "we ran into each other one day… we talked for a while and… stuff."

"What type of _stuff_?"

"What does it matter?" Kikyou bickered back as she glared at him.

"It does!"

"It was an impulsive thing; I know you wouldn't know anything about that but it just happened… We just went."

"You just randomly left the country with this guy?"

"Yes, it's not like he was a stranger."

"Had you seen each other since graduation?"

"No."

"So he randomly found you at that point?"

"OK, he was in New Zealand _with_ me so I don't see how that has to do with anything."

"It _does_!"

"Are you jealous?" Kikyou smirked, "that's it, isn't it? Because he asked me out in high school a few times, huh? Even after we started to date."

"Th-that has nothing to do with this," Inuyasha scoffed as he looked away, the click of his front door caught his attention and he jumped over the counter top and pushed Kikyou's head downward so she was hidden behind the counter while Miroku walked in.

"Hey, Inuyasha," Miroku cautiously greeted, he knew his friend was probably still having problems… he had loved Kagome, "how's it going?"

"Good, you?" Inuyasha replied a bit painfully, Kikyou she hit him in the knee cap.

"Good," Miroku nodded as he walked over to him and looked at the papers spewed across the countertop. "Still working on the case, huh?"

"Been thrown off of it, actually."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged, "it's OK."

"I'm sorry it seems like your… ex did it, too."

He felt Kikyou hit him again and pressed his lips together and nodded, "it sucks."

"Are you OK?"

"Fine."

"Are you sure? I'm going to meet Sango for dinner, you should come with us."

Inuyasha shook his head.

"Come on, it'd be healthy for you to get out," he kept up as he started to walk around the counter.

"No!" Inuyasha stopped him, "I'm fine. I don't want to go."

Miroku stopped and gave him a puzzled look, "Shippou and Kohaku are going to be there too, you won't be a third wheel if that's what you are worried about."

"I ate already."

"Inuyasha…"

"It would be best if I stayed in," he shrugged, "can you stay at Sango's tonight?"

"Why?"

"Ya' know, she's my ex and all, if she's going to come after anyone next it'll be me." He felt her squeeze his shin.

"I'm not leaving you here alone if she's going to come and try and kill you!"

"It's OK, I'll be ready and _defiantly_ shoot her." He kneed Kikyou this time.

"Inuyasha…"

"Please, Miroku? Please?"

He sighed and nodded, "fine. But I'm calling you and you better pick up or else I'll call the police."

"Deal."

"Alright," Miroku began to walk towards his room, "I'm going to change out of my work clothes then I'm heading out."

"See ya'," Inuyasha waited until he closed his bedroom door to kneel down and whisper harshly to Kikyou, "what's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with you? Can't you defend me to your roommate?"

"Keep your voice down," he ordered, "I'm not entirely sure you didn't do it."

"Oh," Kikyou laughed, "you ass."

"You—" but the phone ringing caught his attention and he stood and picked it up as Miroku exited his room, "hello?"

"Who is it?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha shook his head to Miroku, "not for you."

"OK, I'll see you later, please lock the door."

"Of course," Inuyasha nodded, he waited until Miroku was safely out of the apartment to switch it to speaker phone, "Kikyou."

"What?" Kikyou asked as she got up but the noise on the other side of the line ended her curiosity, instead her stomach began to turn.

"MMMM!" A man shouted.

"No, not again," Kikyou covered her mouth as she leaned against Inuyasha; he actually put an arm over her shoulder.

"Who is this?" Inuyasha barked.

"Help!" An ear piercing scream broke through, "help me!"

"Who is this?!"

"Kikyou!?"

"Akito!"

Inuyasha stared at her intently before looking down at the phone, "where are you, Akito?"

"Kikyou, help me!"

"Akito! Tell me where you are!?"

"There's a man here and he! He! No!"

"Akito!"

"Sh," Inuyasha covered her mouth.

"Kikyou! Help! Stop! No! Don't!" There was another scream and a splashing sound on the other side of the line.

Kikyou closed her eyes and turned into Inuyasha, "it was a recording."

"What?" Kikyou gasped.

"That's why they never answer where they are."

"Very good," the same voice as always assured from the other side of the line, "goodbye."

"Who knew you were here, Kikyou?"

She shook her head as she brushed a few tears away.

"Suikotsu," Inuyasha answered his own question.

"No, he would never," Kikyou assured, "never. He's going to be a doctor, he's going to save lives."

"He's got a thing for you."

"That doesn't mean he's going to go around killing those around me and particularly not my sisters!"

"I'm going to go talk to him!" Inuyasha declared as he went to the door, he opened it and shut it right away, "damn it."

"What…?"

"Grab the files, _now_," he ordered as he ran into his bedroom.

Kikyou did as he said and followed him in, he closed the door behind them and locked it, "go down the fire escape."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Kikyou, the police are outside the hallway, they are about to break in. You're going to go to jail for being the murder, I'll go down as an accomplice. Until we can catch the real guy we've got to run for it."

"But—" She didn't have time to argue as he pushed her out the window.


	8. Chapter 8

_Sunday 30__th__, 9:00 a.m.: Kibou Love Hotel_

"Why here?" Kikyou mumbled as she walked around the room, "why do we _have_ to be coped up in here for so very, very long?" She never actually entered any of the love hotels that lined the streets of Tokyo. They were usually for infidelity or teenagers, so why would anyone with their own apartment bother? And to be stuck since late Wednesday night and, really, to be pent up in hotel with the most ridiculous décor that was meant for the sole purpose of indulging anyone's sexual desire was a hellish experience with an ex-boyfriend. Her _first_ real boyfriend, her _first_ real love, her _first_…

"No cameras, they take cash, don't ask questions, probably not on the police's top list of where to look for us," Inuyasha answered from the bed while he kept looking over the photos that had taunted him for days, there _had_ to be something hidden within them that could solve the puzzle they were in but, alas, he couldn't find it.

It had been a narrow escape that night, Kikyou almost tripped down the fire escape but he grabbed her in time. They were able to jump into the dumpster next to it and close the lid for a long enough time that the police thought they got away. Once only a few were stationed around the apartment they were given their chance to make a break for it. Luckily, Inuyasha had plenty of cash from his newly deposited paycheck.

Though, they both had to wash themselves a few times and buy new clothes to get the smell off of them. He tried his utmost to ignore the fact that he was stuck in such a lustful place with someone that used to spark so much… feeling in him, he tried not to let his gaze follow her about, he tried not to let past memories flicker about but… no, he shook his head, his girlfriend was just _murdered_. He should be thinking about that, about her, not…

"You've been looking at those forever. Do you really think that it'll help you more now?"

Inuyasha shook his head, "I don't know. At least if we get a call here we'll know that someone with crazy powers is the killer."

She couldn't seem to find any humor in his lame joke, "I… I…" she shook her head, "I can't take this. Inuyasha, I can't take this… anyone else… I can't."

That crack in her voice, the strong one he'd always known, caused him to look up just barely to her; she looked like hell washed over. But who wouldn't if everyone they knew was suddenly being killed around them and they were the main suspect?

"We'll figure this out," Inuyasha assured with some compassion as he kept looking threw the photos still. "You were on the archery team at our school, one of our best."

"So? You still think I—!?"

"No," Inuyasha hushed her before she broke out into hysteria, "I don't."

"Besides, you think that the Archer and whoever's doing these killings are two different people."

"But… it can't be… Kagura made sure that no one got the real pictures of the mark. The press all think that the arrow is pointing in the opposite direction. That means either there is a copycat killer that's a member of the force and has seen the real killer's work but…"

"But?" Kikyou knelt on the end of the bed, "Inuyasha! Please!"

"Serial killers don't like copycats they usually retaliate if they are still active and there hasn't been a single killing not related to you yet… I…" his auburn gaze wondered up to her, "I think that the Archer knows you."

She couldn't seem to breath as that thought dawned on her. What luck! A crazed serial killer took a profound interest in her… she closed her eyes as she let her head hit the bed, "why?"

"I don't know why this is happening to you, Kikyou," Inuyasha knew that was what she meant, "but we'll figure it out."

"I'm going to call Suikotsu."

"No!"

That caused her to freeze with a cringe, was it jealousy in his tone or was he just tired?

"First off, the police are probably tapping his line and secondly… he's the only one that knew you were at mine."

"It. Is. Not. Suikotsu!"

"So you say," Inuyasha paused, "what makes you so sure?'

"Because I know him!"

"Kikyou," Inuyasha stopped, he wasn't going to argue with her but she looked like she couldn't take much more… "We need to figure out who might be next."

"I have no idea!"

"Any friends that you are particularly close to, anyone that means something to you, any past lovers," he grabbed a note pad and pen from the night stand, "write them all down."

"I can't believe this is happening…" Kikyou mumbled as she took the items from him. Not only was this… terrible, was someone out to kill people she cared about but she was also meant to tell her first about any who followed him? Gods, could it be more embarrassing?

"Five names," Inuyasha mused as he glanced about the pad, "only five? Six including Akito?"

"What?" She scoffed, "I'm sorry I don't get around?" Was that what he wanted to say? Was it wrong that she didn't just go about with any man? No one sparked anything grand in her; just… her eyes lingered about the still awe-struck man. No one since him, why was it like that?

"No, there's nothing wrong with that," he muttered back.

"Now," she snatched the pad away from him and ripped off the first sheet, "you write down all the names of the people _you've_ been intimate with."

"Me?" He shrieked, "why would I do that?"

"Because I had to and it's only fair!"

"It's got nothing to do with the case!"

She just narrowed her chocolate orbs upon him, "but now you know all the names of the people I've… it's only fair, Inuyasha."

"But," he pressed his lips together, "but… fine, just… whatever, fine."

"Thank you," she murmured as she rested her chin upon the bed and closed her eyes as he started to scribble about the paper. Time ticked away before he finally set it down before her, "that took forever, do I even want to see how long it is?"

"I'm perfectly fine with throwing this away," he shrugged as he pulled it away but she snapped up onto her knees and grabbed it out of his hand to glance about it, her eyes widened right away and mouth dropped. "It's not that bad."

"Men are pigs!" She retorted as she threw it back to him, "it's because you just get to have the thrill of the moment and never worry about getting knocked up. God, you are a _dog_."

"I am not!" he tried to grab the pad away but she pulled it back and with each attempt he slipped off the bed and on to the floor right next to her. She couldn't help but laugh at that sight and, of course, that irked him like none other right away until he propped himself up and he glared at her to lecture him before he let the tension subside. How long had it been since he heard a laugh? How long had it been since she smiled like that?

"Kikyou…" he murmured before lying back down, "I'm tired."

"Me, too," she whispered after she regained herself and whipped her eyes clean of the tears that had formed. She truly needed a good laugh, "I haven't slept in forever it feels like… each time I close my eyes I keep seeing… horrid nightmares, you know?"

"I keep seeing the crime photos," he sighed as she lied down next to him. "Maybe we should try a catnap?"

"What about warning those people on my list?" She inquired as she closed her eyes and rearranged herself to a more comfortable position on the ground.

"We'll do that later. I still need to figure out," he yawned briefly, "how to figure out how to contact them while still staying off the grid. You know we need to… catch this guy if we want to ever be able to walk freely again."

"'cause everyone thinks I'm the killer so I'll be sent to jail and you'll go away for aiding a criminal?" She murmured.

"Yep," and that's the last thing that was said between the two before sleep took over. It was only a half hour before their bodies found the warmth of the others and his arms pulled her into a lazy embrace.

_9:00 p.m.: Kibou Love Hotel_

It was that constant bothersome ringing of the phone that finally got him to roll over and almost smack right into the post of the bed. With a groggy groan he bothered to sit up and rub his eyes, it wasn't until then that he noticed… that Kikyou wasn't by his side. Panic took over as he leaped to his feet and his gaze glanced all about the room yet she wasn't there. How could she leave? _How? _After everything he told her about how important it was for her to stay in?

Was he a fool for trusting her? Was she playing him, just waiting for him to take his watchful eye off of her long enough for her to sneak away? Was she…?

"What's what that expression?" Kikyou asked with a slight tilt of the head after she came out of the bathroom, "I'm glad that supply us toothbrushes or else I'd feel really disgusting."

A sigh of relief escaped his lips before he sat down on the bed and watched as she walked over to him, of course she wasn't the killer, how could she be? "Yeah."

"Did you sleep well?" She questioned as she sat on the opposite side, "I did, finally. It's already nine, too."

"Really?" He mused as he looked over to the clock, "huh… I kind of feel like we wasted a bunch of time."

"Everyone needs to sleep, Inuyasha."

"True," then the ringing began again.

"It's the hotel line," she whispered as her eyes fixated on the phone, "it's… what woke me up, Inuyasha, I can't answer it."

He looked over to see her bit her bottom lip as her fingers grasped at the sheets of the bed, he brows bent creating wrinkles upon her flawless façade so he finally got up and walked over to her side to pick up the phone, yet he didn't say a word but neither did whoever was on the other side until, finally, the malice filled man whispered.

"Kikyou has until midnight to show up at train station A, platform 23."

His eyes glanced over to the shaken girl before he bothered to reply in a rather chipper, "nope."

There was a mild scoff on the other side, as if something in the distant was smacked about then a blood freezing chuckle broke out, "or he dies."

"Oh?" There really wasn't a way for him to appear more indifferent towards the subject.

"He… Hello?" A meek murmur of a voice questioned, "Kik…Kikyou?"

"Nope," Inuyasha replied.

"Tell… her to stay away."

There was a muffled cry as the phone bagged around, "midnight or the one that shares her roof dies."

Then there was nothing but the dial tone.

"Who was it?" Kikyou inquired as he hung up the phone, his eyes never returned to her so she had to lean forward to see the strange look in them. "Inuyasha?"

To tell her or not to…? If she ever found out then she'd _never_ forgive him. If he did tell her she'd be out of there in no time and there was really very little that he could do about it but… he finally looked over to her, he couldn't risk her getting hurt. He couldn't bare that thought. He'd lost everything important to him in such a short span of time, someone that was precious to him, that he could… Kagome, he sighed at the thought as he stared into the eyes of her older sister so intimately. If he did tell her then there would be a way to perhaps catch the guy but was it worth Kikyou?

He'd hate himself forever for telling her the truth, he just didn't know it yet, "it was him."

She a lump in her throat form to block all the air from her burning lungs as her hand reached up to her mouth and she looked away, no… how? How did he find them when not even the police could? Who had he…?

"He… has whoever shares your roof, I think—"

"Suikotsu!" She gasped as she jumped to her feet, "no! Inuyasha we have to do something! I've never been with him we just live together! He's my closet friend, Inuyasha! I don't know what I'd do if he was killed because of me, I'd never be able to live with myself."

"Kikyou… we have to be rational about this—"

"Screw you," she scoffed before running for the door, she didn't know what she could do to help him but staying in that room wasn't going to do him any good. Of course, Inuyasha smacked against it at her first attempt at opening it.

"He told me where you have to meet him but… but Kikyou you have to let me come with you, what if we can catch that guy?"

"A… Alright, but let's hurry, we can't waste any time. What if…?" Suikotsu was already dead? No, her heart couldn't take it. Anyone but Suikotsu… no, just please, gods, don't take him, too.

_10:00 p.m. Train Station A, Platform 23._

Time ticked by slower than ever before as she lingered upon the platform it had been almost twenty minutes since she'd arrived as she was a nervous wreck already. She hadn't taken up the habit of biting her nails since she was in the first grade yet she found herself doing just that as she paced about waiting for anyone to approach her… what would happen if Suikotsu…? No, she just kept shaking her head. Everything would be fine because Inuyasha wasn't far, he was watching her, making sure that no one got her, he'd someone magically be able to catch the killer and save Suikotsu. She deserved a hero, she did… right?

Why was this happening to her? What had she done? Was she a terrible person in some past life and just couldn't remember? Is that why she deserved such daunting torment? Really, she would rather the man who was obsessed with her just _take_ her and killer _her_ instead of those close to her. She would have been able to deal with that far better… her sister, granted, she wasn't too terribly close to Kagome anymore but she didn't want the girl to die and Kaede!? She adored her, Akito, Seno… all of them. And now Suikotsu? Someone so precious to her that her heart threatened to stop beating all together if he was taken? She just couldn't deal with that.

Tears were actually cascading down her cheek when two trains pulled up, one to her left and the other to her right as the same time. She froze, she could feel a pair of prying eyes on her… a tainted disgusting glare that caused her to almost fall over right then.

"Kikyou!" Inuyasha shouted right as the doors to the trains opened a series of passengers got out to crowd the small platform and flood his vision of her. Her fading red coated figure disappeared into the mass as he tried to push his way through to where she once stood.

"Inuyasha!?" She called out, knowing that he no longer was able to see her but right then she felt someone grab her wrist from behind.

"Come with me, quietly," the man whispered against her neck, she could feel the hot, revolting, breath brush against her skin as he pulled her to the train that had pulled up on the left, he timed it so they were hidden in the middle of another mass of people that was trying to get on the very same train. "Peep and Suikotsu dies. I have to return to where he is in two hours or say goodbye to his life. Don't turn around."

She couldn't even if she wanted to her, her legs function enough for her to get onto the train but they stopped there, her body was far too stiff from fear to be able to turn to see her capture.

Please, she closed her eyes, let Inuyasha have seen the man's face.

"Inuyasha!" An all too familiar female called out right as he was stopped in the midst of the platform.

"Kagura…" he murmured as he glanced to his side, Koga… and about four other police officers, "damn it. You don't understand, Kikyou—"

"Killed all those people and aided and abended her," Koga scoffed, "goddamn moron. I can't tell you how much I've wanted to do this," he grinned as two officers grasped at Inuyasha's arms and pulled his hands behind his back. "You are under arrest, asshole."

"No, you don't understand!" Inuyasha tried his best to put up a fight but not even he could break from of so many grasps.

"Tell us where Mori Kikyou is _now_." Kagura ordered, "it'll be easier for you if you just tell us… please, make this easier, Inuyasha."

He felt Koga tighten the handcuffs too much right as the platform cleared enough to see that…

She was gone.

* * *

**A/N:** _finally _I updated, right? I'm sorry for the prolonged absence on this story... I plan to finish it, though. I swear. I was just stuck for a bit. Now I should be able to wrap the story up in two or three chapters.

I hope you enjoyed, I hope your review, and thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

_Monday 31__st__, Halloween, 12:00 a.m._

"Where…?" She whispered as she weakly lifted her head, a few strands of hair hung in front of her face. The lights flickered just outside the old wooden door… wherever she was it was ruin down and falling apart, the piles were hanging out of the ceiling and leaking a constant, annoying, drip-drip-drip of water. Cobwebs had formed in the high corners of the room, desks were piled and knocked about everywhere and the chalk board had begun to fall off the wall.

She was in the very center of the room with her hands tied tightly behind her back, no matter how much she squirmed she could not break herself free. Though, she couldn't try too hard. There was a fog that seemed to set in, as if she had been drugged which would make sense. At some point she had to switch trains with the man she never got a good look of and after that… she didn't remember a thing.

Suikotsu.

She took a deep breath as she tried to tip over the chair yet failed, where was he?

What if… she was too late, what if he was gone?

"You're awake," the vulgar voice from before beckoned as the door that was almost off its hinges opened, "do you remember?"

Did she remember _what_? When she looked up to the man he was wearing a mask, she could only see his venomous brown eyes, "are you… the Archer?"

He simply chuckled at that as he walked all the over to her to lift a black gloved hand to outline her face but she didn't allow that for long before yanking her hand free. "You monster!"

"Perhaps," he whispered as his hand floated above her sink once more, "do you remember?"

"Remember what?" she spat back. Fear was something she'd never show this man, this disgusting demon, she'd put on a strong front… she'd make it through it somehow. She _had_ to save, "Suikotsu, where is he?"

"Never mind him," he demanded rather harshly as he grasped her chin and yanked her to look up at him, his eyes had narrowed upon her, "do you remember?"

"Remember what!?"

His eyes moved away from her and about the room, so she weakly did the same, "where are we… an old school?" she scoffed before taking a breath and trying to free her chin from his grasp but he only held her harder.

"I'll kill him," he threatened.

"Screw you, you disgusting coward!"

Even though she could not see his mouth she got the feeling his lips curled up to a repulsive smirk, "we're going to have fun here once more."

Once more…? Her eyes followed him as he left the room.

_Halloween, Police Station, 1:00 a.m._

"Inuyasha," Kagura dragged out with a bit of a sigh as she rested her chin upon her hand, "you are such a difficult person."

"Like hell we're going to believe your lame ass story," Koga grunted while he folded his arms tightly together and leaned back in his seat, his brown eyes burning deep into the man across from him. "She _killed_ Kagome! Did you ask her to, huh? You sick—!"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha demanded, "like he'll I'd every want that! It's not Kikyou! You're wasting your time! The guy that's doing all this _has_ her!"

"Inuyasha," Kagura murmured again as she rotated her head around to loosen up her tense mussels, "just tell us where she is, then, and we'll be able to find this supposed 'other' guy."

"I don't know! Have you not been listening to me!? All this time you've wasted talking to me he's been doing god knows what to her! You should be looking for them!" He jerked forward but since his hands were cuffed to the table he could reach out and strangle Koga like he had hoped to. The smug look the bastard gave him made his skin crawl.

"You're pathetic," Koga spat before getting up and leaving the room, "I need coffee if we're going to keep this up."

"Asshole," Inuyasha muttered to himself, "Kagura, you know me, you know that I'd never—"

"Sh," she requested before she glanced to the door, "you've gotten yourself into a shit load of trouble."

"Kikyou's innocent," Inuyasha swore, "she really is."

With reluctance Kagura glanced back over to her former partner and sighed once more before getting up and walking over to fold her arms and lean against the table with her back to the door. "Then how could all that evidence lead to _her_?"

"He's obviously trying to frame her or something!" It took him a moment or two but he finally regain her cool enough to sigh and look up to meet her in the eye and plead, "help me, help her. She's all I got left, Kagura, I can't… this bastard is going to get away with murder if they catch her. I honestly don't know where she is. If I did I swear I'd tell you, do you think I want her to get hurt? Huh? I'm begging you here, just find her. She had to be on one of those trains, figure out where they went—"

"Stop," she sighed, "just stop… you look so pitiful, the great Inuyasha reduced to begging…? You must really care about this girl, huh?"

"More than anything," he said without thinking. It wasn't until the words left his mouth that he heard them and understood the mild shock that was written upon Kagura's face. Did he mean that? Well… now he did, he hadn't any family alive—besides his bastard half-brother—and Kagome was gone so… yes, Kikyou meant the world to him but… hadn't she always?

He watched as Kagura's brows furrowed and she pressed her lips to the point where they almost went right before snorting and pulling a key out of her pocket, she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the forehead as she grabbed one of his hands.

"You know the chief really doesn't want me helping in the interview anyway," she sighed, "if I were you… I'd look for your friend at your old bordering school."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha inquired as he grabbed the key she had slide him but she didn't reply as she left the room. "Answer me, Kagura!" She only closed the door behind her in return.

His old _bordering_ school? When had he even ever mentioned to her that he went to one? Why would he look _there_ for Kikyou of all the places? It was just outside of Tokyo in a rather rural region, it'd take him two hours to get there if he got to the train station in fifteen or so minutes. He freed his hands with the key Kagura had given him and glanced up to the camera, someone had to be watching him so she couldn't waste any time for making it to the door and knocking out the guard that was lingering there with a blow to the head.

"I'm sorry," he cringed as he took the gun, "I just really gotta do this."

"Hey!" Someone shouted as he ran over to him, which was just what he had expected. He pulled the gun on the rockie that was still fumbling to get his freed from its case.

"Stop, now," Inuyasha ordered, "I don't want to hurt you."

He'd only went over to the boy and wrapped his arm around his neck from behind and placed his gun to his head, "I'm not going to shot you, I just got to use you to get out of here." His only chance would be going down the hallway to the back exit where only a few people were stationed, run for his life and make it to the train station before the cops could catch him.

Hopefully it'd work… but, should he really listen to Kagura? What if it was a trick? Still… it wasn't like he had much of a choice, now did he?

_Unknown Location, 2:30 a.m._

"Finally," she whispered as she wiggled her hand free of the rope, reddened and ripped skin lined her wrists but that didn't matter to her at that moment. She was just glad to be able to untie her ankles and stand up groggily and with the support of the chair. It only took her a few moments to be able to regain her strength and find a way to walk over to the door since she hadn't the time to waste. She had to get over there and find Suikotsu before that monster returned. With a shaky breath she opened the door and glanced around the dimly lit hallway, the constant flickering sound of the florescent lights along with the dripping of the pipes had united to drive her near the edge of insanity.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as she stepped out and began to head down the left of the hallway; she had seen the man head that way through the small, broken window in the door. She only got a few feet before she looked out the windows in the hallway and saw… that old tree… the Tree of Time… the one her and Inuyasha always made plans to meet at after school.

Wait, then did that mean she was _there_ of all places? Their old bordering school, truly? She had heard the place was closed down only a year after she graduated… but out of all the places for her insane stalker-serial killer to take her _why_ there? Did that mean she knew him? Did he go to this school with her? A list of names ran through her head as she began to walk forward once more, being mindful of the places she set her feet to make sure not to make any noise. She knew plenty of people in school but none of them struck her as future-murders.

'Do you remember?' is that what he meant? Did she remember their time at school together? She had heard that a stalker could be formed from a small event, something that she wouldn't remember. She could just smile the wrong way at an unstable person, say nothing more than 'hello', and they could become enchanted. She had a friend at the café she used to work at that just that had happened. Never had she even said more than 'hello' to this guy that lived four floors below her in her apartment complex yet he began to stalk her—though, she didn't know it was him until he tried to corner her in the lobby. Luckily, someone came to her rescue and he was put in jail for assault chargers.

She heard a mild moan from the distance that caught her full attention, was that Suikotsu? She prayed it was…

"Should I kill you in front of her or just bring you beating her to her? Which do you think she'd prefer?"

That disgusting voice, she almost gagged yet she still picked up her pace when she heard those words. No, she couldn't let anything happen to Suikotsu, the door to the room that housed them was meekly opened so she could peak in to see the man in the mask taunting a bleeding, barely conscious, Suikotsu.

"Stay away… from Kikyou," Suikotsu slurred as his head leaned more to one side than the other.

"Death, then," he readjusted his grip on the knife before pulling it up in the air. His intention was to stab Suikotsu square in the neck and let him choke on his own blood but before he got the chance he felt the weight of an arm wrapping around his neck to choke him and legs wrap around his waist while someone tried to claw the knife free.

"Leave Suikotsu alone!" Kikyou demanded as she pulled harder around his neck, getting him to loosen his grip just enough so she could grab the knife but before she could thrust it into the masked man he hit her in the gut and caused her to fall to the ground.

"How'd you get free?" He growled.

"Stay away!" Kikyou demanded as she kicked her feet at the preceding man before she was able to fumble her way to her feet, holding the knife out in front of her the entire time. "I know where we are! Tell me who you are! You went to this school with me, didn't you!?"

"Kikyou… run," Suikotsu whispered after a brief cough.

With each advance the man make she took another back until her back was to the wall. If he tried to come any closer she'd try her very best to stab him but he stopped just out of reach as his hand wondered up to the bottom of his mask. It took no more than one, swift, yank for him to free his face from behind the darkness. She narrowed her eyes to see the poorly lit expression better… then it hit her, almost as if someone had struck her in the gut.

Onigumo... "Naraku?"

A sizzling smirk lifted his lips, "I knew you'd remember."

"What the hell!? Why are you doing this!"

"Because you asked me to."

"What?" She gawked, "when did I ever…? You are insane!"

"They getting in our way," he assured in a whisper as he took a step closer, "I had to make them go away."

"Our? _Our_? There is no 'us'! I told you that!" When he asked her out after Inuyasha and her broke up because of those rumors. He had been nice to her and so, in return, she was kind to him back but that didn't mean she was ever interested in any relationship more so than a weak friendship. She had told him that, too, not in some many words at least when he asked her out.

"Kikyou," he whispered with another step forward. With a deep breath she jabbed the knife forward only for him to swiftly dodge it and grab her wrist, retrieve the knife, and pull her into his embrace—her back to his chest as he raised the knife up to her throat. He took a deep breath in, "you smell good."

"You're crazy," she grunted between clenched teeth while she tried once to struggle but then he pressed the knife to her throat and she settled down.

"I'm going to kill him," he murmured into her ear, "you're going to help."

"Screw you."

"Kikyou!?" A familiar cry beckoned.

She could feel Naraku tense up behind her, apparently he hadn't planned on Inuyasha showing up. Thank gods, she took a breath of relief, "he probably has all of the police station with him." She shakily declared, "you should let me and Suikotsu go and run for it if you ever think you're going to get away with all that you've done!"

"I knew she was useless," Naraku growled into her ear before pulling her closer to him. "We're leaving."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" She shouted back as she grabbed at his hands and try to break free, "I'd rather you stab me now!"

"That's always an option," he snarled.

"Inuyasha!" She shrieked as loud as her lungs allowed, "Inuyasha!"

"Be quiet, wench!" he scowled as he put just a bit more pressure upon her neck.

"Kikyou!" Yes, yes, she couldn't have been happier to hear his voice closer.

"Inuyasha!" That when she felt the knife Naraku pressed against her neck so hard that it actually drew blood.

"Kikyou!" Inuyasha shouted out once more before he ran past the door, he stopped and sped back to the door. His eyes widened at the sight before him—_Kikyou_'s neck was bleeding and some man held a knife to it. "Let her go right now!" He demanded as he drew his gun and pointed it at the man who was almost entirely hidden behind Kikyou. There really was no way he could get a clean shot and not risk hitting Kikyou

"Shot me and you'll probably shot her, too," Naraku retorted bitterly, "you leave and I won't kill the girl."

"Inuyasha just shot him!" Kikyou protested only to feel the nip of the knife more.

"Kikyou, be quiet right now," Inuyasha grumbled, his eyes wondered around the room some before they landed on a very battered Suikotsu well… he apparently turned out wrong about that one. "I won't leave her here, _let_ go of her now."

"I'd rather kill her than hand her over to you," Naraku snarled.

"I'll kill you if you do that," Inuyasha snapped.

He just heard a cruel chuckle, "that's fine by me."

"It's Naraku, Inuyasha," Kikyou reminded him in a whisper.

"That's right," Naraku backed up with a smug grin, "remember me, _Inuyasha_?"

Naraku… that name, "you?" Inuyasha awed with furrowed brows, "_you_ are the one killing everyone? Gods! I should have known! You were always a weird bastard! You stalked Kikyou and started that _stupid_ rumor!" The one from high school, the one that broke them up…

That only got another chuckle out of Naraku, "you were going to be my last victim, if it makes you feel any better. Then there would be nothing standing in our way."

"What '_our_'?" Inuyasha ridiculed, "let her go or I swear I'll shot you."

"You won't," Naraku assured as he jerked Kikyou's head back more, "you're aim can't be that good, you'd shot your precious princess instead."

"Shot him!"

"Shut up, wench," Naraku hissed once more in her ear before a 'bang' tore through the air to burst all their ears.

Everything slowed for one moment as both Kikyou and Naraku fell to the ground, blood pool out on the old linoleum floor.

"Kikyou!" Inuyasha shouted as he ran over to her and halted his gun, pulling her in his arms swiftly.

She just moaned in pain as she leaned into his warm embrace. After a quick look over Inuyasha was sure he hadn't hit her and that the wound on her neck was shallow, "thank gods," he whispered as he pulled her closer and leaned his forehead to hers.

"You're late," she muttered.

"Sorry about that," he smiled, "I'm going to call an ambulance for Suikotsu and the station. Hopefully we'll get all this cleared up…"

"Hopefully," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck, not letting go of him for a moment as he made his multiple calls.

_November 30__th_

"Everything done?" Kikyou asked as she swayed about slightly outside the station, waiting ever so patiently for her knight in shining armor to exit the building and hop down the stairs to meet her.

"Everything's officially done," he replied with a broad grin, "the case if officially closed as of today. With Kagura and Suikotsu's statements there's no doubt that Naraku did it. You are free of all charges and my reputation is safe."

"Kagura…" Kikyou mused as she took a step closer to the man, her hands loosely linked behind her back, "I'm sorry, that must have been hard on you… to find out your partner was working for him all along… planting evidence whenever he wanted and making sure the case never led to him…"

"Yeah, well, he had some sort of dirt on her…" Inuyasha muttered as he looked away, "he was holding her little brother captive… I can't really blame her."

"Neither do I," Kikyou assured before she placed one small kiss upon his cheek, "thank you, Inuyasha."

"Yo-You're welcome," he stuttered with slightly reddened cheeks, "I was just… doing my job."

"Right," she whispered as she cupped his face in her hand, "Inuyasha?"

"What?" He whispered as his eyes locked with hers.

"I think…" she began in a hush as she leaned closer to him, "I may still be a _little_ in love with you."

"Oh?" He managed before she pressed her lips to his. He couldn't help it, he had to wrap his arms around her and pull her closer. "I think I might love you, too."

"Good," she smiled, "then you should take me out to dinner, as an apology."

"An apology?" He snickered, "for _what_?"

"For being late, as always," she replied with a smirk.

"Fine," he grumbled, "fine, but you're buying next time."

"You are so ungentlemanly," she sighed as she pushed away to take his hand and lead him to whatever restaurant her heart desired, "a gentlemen always buys his girlfriend dinner."

"Oh?" He grinned as he interlaced his fingers with hers, "so you want to be my girlfriend now, do you?"

"You want me to be your girlfriend," she corrected as she glanced back at him, "just admit it already."

"Alright… fine," he shrugged, "I'll allow you to be my girlfriend."

"Oh, what an honor," she mocked.

He just chuckled again as he placed threw an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. Somehow, from all the mayhem and misery… they found each other again.

* * *

**A/N: **I couldn't figure out a clever line to end this story but... I'm happy enough with it. It's not my best work but I think it's a fun quick read nevertheless. I hope you enjoyed.


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